FRANCIS BACON (1909-1992)

Bacon's interest in bullfighting developed during several trips to Spain and southern France during the 1960s. The drama and brutality of the spectacle clearly struck a chord with the artist, who began collecting reference materials and images which he would annotate in his characteristic way. In 1969 Bacon conceived three large-scale works intended for Bullfighting triptych. Ultimately Bacon decided that each work should stand alone, as each individual composition focussed the viewer's attention on the precisely choreographed movement in the arena, and as such was a closer reflection of the art of the corrida.