Francis BACON - Study from the Portrait of Innocent X by Velázquez (1953)

 

Study from the Portrait of Innocent X by Velázquez
1953
Oil painting on canvas (153x118 cm)
Des Moines Art Center, Des Moines (Iowa)

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One of the most terrifying and disturbing images in the history of art. Taken from the famous painting by Velázquez, it distorts the original Spanish portrait, the tortured expression and the splashes of blood present a suffering pope imprisoned in a tubular structure built around his throne.

The background constructed from vertical lines add to the drama as a whole.

A characteristic of Bacon's works is that they model real people or historical portraits. The important thing is that everything was upset and changed.

Bacon delves into the darkness of the human psyche, coming to highlight strong and unpleasant aspects without worrying about mitigating the heaviness of nightmares.

Bacon is famous for his horrifying figures, characterized by real distortions of the human body.

Comparing artists: Bosch, Manzù, Soutine, Sutherland, Velázquez