Tear Down the Veils: Francis Bacon's Papal Variations 1946-1971
Loading...
Date
2009-06
Authors
Hong, Kimberly Yuen, 1984-
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
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