Francis Bacon: The Distortion of Portraiture at the National Portrait Gallery

The National Portrait Gallery in London is hosting a riveting exhibition of works by Francis Bacon, showcasing his unique and often unsettling approach to portraiture. This exhibition, titled “Francis Bacon: Human Presence,” delves into the British artist’s exploration of mortality, sex, and death through his distorted and haunting figures.

Bacon, who rose to prominence in the 1940s, is known for his ability to shock and provoke, capturing the essence of a post-war era marked by horror and loss. The artist’s depictions are far from traditional portraits; instead, they present figures that appear injured or grotesquely distorted. As critic John Berger once controversially noted, Bacon’s work reflects “horror with connivance.”

The exhibition opens with a selection of works from the late 1940s and 1950s, featuring disfigured and claustrophobic portrayals of men. Notably, “Study for a Portrait” presents a man with half his head missing, captured in a scream. Bacon’s subjects, like his lover Peter Lacy, often appear as crushed and pummelled masks of flesh.

Bacon’s lack of religious or political beliefs allowed him to confront the brutal realities of his time, a fact highlighted by historian Timothy Snyder’s work “Bloodlands,” which notes the unimaginable pace of destruction during World War II. Bacon’s refusal to adhere to traditional portraiture instead focuses on what it means to be human, albeit raw and unfiltered.

The exhibition also explores Bacon’s fascination with the history of painting. His appreciation for the Old Masters is evident in his grand canvases and nods to artists like Velázquez and Rembrandt. In a departure from his usual male subjects, Bacon painted female nudes, including his friend Henrietta Moraes, whose portraits reveal a “herculean” physique.

The gallery dedicates its final room to “Friends and Lovers,” portraying figures like Peter Lacy and George Dyer, the latter of whom died by suicide just before Bacon’s 1971 retrospective in Paris. Dyer is depicted in a haunting triptych that captures his likeness in a hotel bathroom moments before his death.

Despite Bacon’s aversion to traditional likeness, his art remains universally powerful. The exhibition includes self-portraits that reveal his vulnerability and introspection. These works present Bacon as a “puffy pink phantasm,” exemplifying his unique approach to the emotional landscape of the human condition.