Tear Down the Veils: Francis Bacon's Papal Variations 1946-1971

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Date

2009-06

Authors

Hong, Kimberly Yuen, 1984-

Journal Title

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Volume Title

Publisher

University of Oregon

Abstract

Twentieth-century British figurative painter Francis Bacon (1909-1992) is perhaps best known for his near-obsessive series of papal paintings inspired by Diego Velazquez' renowned portrait Pope Innocent X (1650) and created over the course of Bacon's entire artistic career. The artist's working process plays a crucial role in understanding this celebrated and varied series. Bacon deliberately avoided Velazquez' "original" portrait, preferring instead to work with photographic reproductions of the piece alongside a large collection of seemingly disparate visual material in his chaotic studio at 7 Reece Mews (South Kensington, London, England). This thesis proposes that Bacon explored issues of mechanization, fragmentation, and repetition through these visual juxtapositions in order to offer a critique of artistic and religious institutions.

Description

xiv, 141 p. : ill. A print copy of this thesis is available through the UO Libraries. Search the library catalog for the location and call number.

Keywords

Bacon, Francis, 1909-1992 -- Criticism and interpretation

Citation