'Self-Portrait' ` 1991 - 1992

Artist Francis Bacon (1909 - 1992)

Date1991-92

MediumOil on canvas

Dimensions198 x 147 x 2.5 cm

ClassificationsPaintings

Object number1919

DescriptionThis unfinished portrait was found on Bacon's easel in his Reece Mews studio on his death in April 1992. The artist's sister, Ianthe Knott, recalls seeing the same work on his easel the previous November, an indication that the artist's pace of work had slowed down considerably. Nevertheless, Bacon remained determined to attempt works on this scale. The figure(s), sofa and framing device have been sketched in with paint on the unprimed surface, and one head has been brought halfway to completion. It is unclear how many figures the artist intended to include in this composition. The circular outline may have been drawn using a dustbin lid, although this was not found in the studio contents. The vertical and horizontal lines framing the composition were probably made with a T-square. As is typical of Bacon's procedure, the background has yet to be laid in. The head of the central figure is the most highly developed part of the canvas.

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