Purple Diary
[December 5 2024]
“Francis Bacon: Human Presence” at National Portrait Gallery London, on view until January 19th
“Human Presence” delves into the artist’s unique and unsettling approach to portraiture. Bringing together more than 50 works alongside photographs of Bacon, the show traces his development from early post-war images of anguish to deeply personal portraits of his close companions. Bacon challenged traditional ideas of likeness, often distorting his subjects to capture vulnerability and existential depth. By painting from photographs rather than life, he explored memory and perception in ways that remain deeply impactful. Offering a compelling look at Bacon’s transformative vision of humanity that he continuously expressed through the art form of the Portrait.
