Francis Bacon is one of the most famous English self-taught painters who mainly worked in expressionism and figurative painting. As a rule, the artist created frightening, disturbing, wild, and exciting images in his works. His favorite themes were screaming, suffering, agony, loss, defeat, death, and doom, which were often framed in the form of a triptych. In addition, Francis often called his completed paintings “etudes” or “sketches.”
Some ordinary people and not particularly thoughtful viewers call such artists crazy, mad, or insane. Nonetheless, throughout his life, Bacon was in the right mind, making unique and inimitable creations that, it seemed, could only be created and produced by a sick imagination. Thus, in a transformed, altered, unnatural form, various objects, human faces, and figures appear in Bacon’s paintings – the leitmotif of creativity and the critical feature of this master.
The artist’s life and work originated in Ireland and England in the 20th century. One should note that the childhood and youth of the creator were complex and challenging. Constant moving, poor health, incorrect upbringing and training, and frequent quarrels with his father based on non-traditional orientation – all this, to one degree or another, influenced Francis’ views, thoughts, interests, and worldview. For example, the painting “The Screaming Father” can be called a documentary since it appeared after Bacon’s father yelled at his son. Furthermore, from the age of 17, the creator wandered around London, interrupted by odd jobs, and petty thefts, and had no particular ideas about his future and further career. However, after the 20s, Bacon especially took up art, fantasized a lot, and projected his ideas on canvas. Hence, the painter is caught up in attempts to break into people and make a name for himself in the world of high art.
Having not received an art education, Bacon was indeed inspired by the works of great masters to develop his talent. Francis’s first creations were based on Pablo Picasso’s style, but over time they grew into something individual, perfect, “terrible and beautiful” at the same time. Due to the author’s surreal manner of “writing images,” this young self-taught creator became seriously interested in people from high society, inviting him to various exhibitions. Francis’ true career came in the 40s and 50s when he created dark and gloomy canvases, often depicting a lonely figure. Nevertheless, despite the social changes in tastes at age 60, Bacon continued to paint in his manner, not yielding to modern fashion.