Reviews (5)

Still one of the most fascinating books on the nature of creativity ever published.
This is the most recent and expanded edition of the book, which by now has become a classic work that really transcends the "interview with a famous artist" label. I own an earlier edition of the book that I have virtually memorized, so the new additions and expansions David Sylvester has included stand out for me, and amplify the original edition considerably. Whether or not you are a fan of Francis Bacon's painting, the book offers Bacon's insights (as well as Sylvester's) on the very nature of creativity, obsession, and what drives artists of any kind (painter, poet, composer, etc.) to devote their lives to their chosen pursuits. Plus, Bacon's rather sulphurous personality and opinions are captured vividly on the page, through Sylvester's obvious freindship and fascination with the man. An absolutely essential, and rather unique book...over the years, I have been amazed at how many people I have met, from all areas of the arts, who have found this work a source of inspiration and endless fascination.

Invaluable Chronicle of a Tortured Artist
"Interviews with Francis Bacon" (1987) captures remarkably on paper the tortured mind of the famous British painter (1909-1992). It belongs on the shelf of every Bacon fan and artist, regardless of medium. Nine interviews range from 1962 to 1986, Bacon's fifties through his seventies, in the form of interactive conversations with art historian David Sylvester (British, 1924-2001), ranging from Bacon's frustrated youth to his unique artistic techniques, the meaning of art to the meaning of life. Sylvester cleverly steers toward topics Bacon finds interesting, allowing him to discuss them at length. (Some of the original audio may be sampled at BBC4's website, though this book's text was heavily edited and re-manipulated from those recordings.) Only the Best
The best book by any artist I have read....utterly inspirational for anyone involved in creative endeavors. What's more, you don't have to agree with all of Bacon's forthright opinions. It probably helps to have seen some of his best work in color, as all the reproductions are monochrome. No matter...I have given away more cpoies of this book than I care to remember. Essential. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 1909-    2. 1909-1992    3. Art    4. Art & Art Instruction    5. Bacon, Francis,    6. Great Britain    7. History - General    8. Individual Artist    9. Individual Painters - 20th Century    10. Interviews    11. Painters    12. Bacon, Francis    13. England    14. Individual artists    15. Painting & paintings   

Reviews (2)

Cerebral Bacon
Gilles Deleuze is one of France's most important philosophers, and in that role he has influenced many branches of the arts with his scholarly investigation of the subjects he chooses to investigate.
new dimension about the will to knowledge
in this book, deleuze demonstrates that modern knowledge is no longer powered by dialectics or rationale, but by human sensuality. bacon's work is a good example to show that how art owns the ability to go beyonddiscourses. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Aesthetics    2. Criticism    3. Individual Artist    4. Philosophy    5. History of art & design styles: from c 1900 -    6. Individual artists    7. Painting & paintings    8. Philosophy / Aesthetics   

Reviews (2)

The first in-depth survey of Bacon's 7,000+ piece studio
His London studio, portrayed on the cover of FRANCIS BACON'S STUDIO, may look like a mess, but Francis Bacon was one of the most significant post-war painters and his studio, both home and workplace, was key to producing his art. His studio housed thousands of items central to his works and has been untouched since his death in 1992: it was donated in 1998 to the Dublin City Gallery and today curators have made it into a showpiece and work of art itself. The studio's deconstruction revealed over 7,500 objects from photos to illustrated publications, slashed canvases and his final unfinished work: FRANCIS BACON'S STUDIO provides the first in-depth survey of the studio and is essential for art library holdings and any student of Bacon's works.
An Even More In-Depth Coverage of Bacon's Infamous Studio
Though there have been several excellent books written about the contents of Francis Bacon's 7 Reece Mews studio in London, the birthplace of his masterpiece paintings that still haunt the public and the historian minds, this hefty volume by Margarita Cappock offers more.Originally conceived as the book to document the 1998 move of Bacon's studio form Kensington, London to the Hugh Lane Gallery in Dublin where it remains an historic site, Cappock sorts and sifts through the bits of treasure and trash that influenced Bacon's inspiration for his future paintings.
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Subjects:  1. Art    2. Art & Art Instruction    3. European    4. General    5. History - Modern (Late 19th Century to 1945)    6. Individual Artist    7. History of art & design styles: from c 1900 -    8. Individual artists    9. Painting & paintings   

Editorial Review

This frank portrait of Anglo-Irish painter Francis Bacon (1909-92) contains enough juicy details about his lurid sex life and hard partying to satisfy even the most avid consumers of art-world gossip. But art critic Michael Peppiatt, who knew Bacon personally, also provides insightful analyses of his paintings and the nerve their anguished subject matter and technique struck in the uneasy years following World War II. In addition, Peppiatt illuminates the autobiographical roots of powerful works such as Read more

Reviews (3)

Under the carpet view
Michael Peppiatt has resources for his book that defy belief.Francis Bacon was indeed an enigmatic person and artist and I suppose that the lurid details of his existence may shed some light on the paintings.But not, I think, to the degree that the author would have us believe.Some of the most glorious works of art have been created by personalities who border on beastial (Richard Wagner, Diego Rivera, Rodin et al) and so I suppose that knowing that Bacon was night gutter tramp may illuminate some of his portaits.The book does add to the literature on Bacon by introducing a number a fascinating photographs and for the reader who needs to know it all, well here is that cluttered closet.

fully penetrating and gripping
Great book....I had never seen a painting of Francis Bacon and had no idea who he was.That being said, I found that the book held my attention from start to finish.Partly it was Bacon's outlandish lifestyle and the strange cast of characters who ran through his life which kept me entertained.Partly it was the analysis of art and Bacon's art in general that worked.The author excelled on both counts, mixing colorful anecdotes with insightful analysis of the work.The author is a master of words -- while reading it you may find yourself in SOHO hanging with the bohemians at a seedy bar, or perhaps getting reamed by a gangster in a public bathroom.In any event, this is a book well worth your time and money.

An illuminating insight into an enigmatic artist and queen
"Francis Bacon : Anatomy of an Enigma" is an illuminating insight into the odd life of an artist who took great pains to prevent undue public prying while alive. Bacon felt that unnecessary publicity onhis own peculiar choice of lifestyle would strip his paintings of themystique they needed to work so effectively on the most visceral levels ofthe viewer's nervous system. Read more

Subjects:  1. 1909-1992    2. Art    3. Artists, Architects, Photographers    4. Bacon, Francis    5. Bacon, Francis,    6. Biography    7. Biography / Autobiography    8. Biography/Autobiography    9. Great Britain    10. Individual Artist    11. Individual Painters - 20th Century    12. Painters   

Reviews (1)

A Comprehensive Analysis of the Influences on the Art of Francis Bacon
Fortunate were the ones who were privileged to see the exhibition FRANCIS BACON AND THE TRADITION OF ART in Vienna at the Kunsthistorisches Museum or at the Foundation Beyeler in Basel in 2003 and 2004.What an experience that must have been.Curator Barbara Steffen assembled on of the most comprehensive surveys of the works of Bacon and presented them in context with the ideas and works of art that influenced Bacon's genius. In Steffen's words 'This exhibit is the first opportunity to examine his works side by side with the artists who inspired him, and in this way to cast at least some light on how he conceived and devised his paintings'.
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Subjects:  1. Art    2. Art & Art Instruction    3. Criticism    4. History - Modern (Late 19th Century to 1945)    5. Individual Artist    6. Art / Individual Artist    7. History of art & design styles: from c 1900 -    8. Individual artists    9. Painting & paintings   

Reviews (2)

A Thoroughly Investigated Aspect of the Genius of Francis Bacon
It seems the number of books about British artist Francis Bacon, both biography and art monograph, grows each year, an indication of just how important this innovative and strange painter is in the spectrum of art history.IN CAMERA FRANCIS BACON: PHOTOGRAPHY, FILM AND THE PRACTIVE OF PAINTING is an erudite and fascinating work that opens previously sealed windows into the dark life and immensely controversial creativity of this daring genius.
A fascinating exploration of photography and painting
"In Camera" is one of the most interesting books on Francis Bacon, one of the greatest painters of the 20th century, ever published for several reasons: First, it takes good advantage of the meanwhile fairly large array of books, catalogs and articles which have been published on Bacon. Second, Harrison had access to materials, mainly photographs that have not been published before. Third, he was able to interview several persons close to Bacon, notably John Edwards, Bacon's last companion. Fourth, and most importantly, the book has a clear thesis that the author is able to present convincingly. It is Harrison's position that Bacon used mainly photographs either taken by photographers by his request or from books and magazines to the effect that they: "triggered decisive turning points in his stylistic development" (from book jacket).
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Subjects:  1. Art    2. Artists, Architects, Photographers    3. Biography / Autobiography    4. Criticism    5. Historical - British    6. Individual Artist    7. Art / Individual Artist    8. History of art & design styles: from c 1900 -    9. Individual artists    10. Painting & paintings   

Reviews (1)

A marriage of words and paintings
David Sylvester is one of the finest biographers of contemporary painters on the shelves today.His insights into such obtuse minds as Giocomettti and de Kooning and Francis Bacon have brought us, the viewer and thinker, closer to the real synapses at work.In this lavishly illustrated catalogue the emphasis is on the whole human body - alone, in confined spaces, distorted and reassembled in triptychs.Sylvester opens this format with terse discussions about particular paintings, using only black and white details of the works he is discussing.Then, once we have the groundwork established, the last half of the book is simply the paintings, printed on the finest peper, with foldouts that do justice to the triptychs and color separations that are as near to the originals as is possible.A feast for the eyes and mind....and imagination. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Art    2. Art & Art Instruction    3. Collections, Catalogs, Exhibitions - General    4. European    5. Exhibition Catalogs    6. History - General    7. Individual Artist    8. Art / General    9. Bibliographies, catalogues, discographies    10. Individual artists    11. Painting & paintings    12. United Kingdom, Great Britain   

Reviews (1)

Examining the Essence of the Model and Exposing the Passion
FRANCIS BACON: PORTRAITS AND HEADS is a superb catalogue that accompanied an exhibition in the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art in Edinburgh last summer and unlike most of the Bacon retrospectives, this exhibition focused entirely on the many heads Bacon painted. As other artist come and go Francis Bacon continues to be one of the more 'published' artists of the twentieth century and it is refreshing to see that there are still new things to say about the work of one of the most significant painters in recent years
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Subjects:  1. Art    2. Art & Art Instruction    3. History - Contemporary (1945- )    4. History of art & design styles: from c 1900 -    5. Individual artists    6. Painting & paintings    7. Portraits in art   

Reviews (1)

Succinct yet Inclusive Biography of Francis Bacon through his Art
Luigi Ficacci in his Taschen book FRANCIS BACON: 1909 - 1992 has managed to give us a short survey in words about the particular genius of Francis Bacon, but at the same time presents a solid framework in which to study the primary contributions of Bacon's output by focusing on eleven of the most important works.And while the bookstore shelves have many fine expensive surveys of all of Bacon's works, this little book is a gift to the student whose pocketbook would be stretched as much as the shelf weight by those greater volumes!
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Subjects:  1. Art    2. Art & Art Instruction    3. History - Contemporary (1945- )    4. History - Modern (Late 19th Century to 1945)    5. Individual Artist    6. Design styles: from c 1900 -    7. Individual artists    8. Painting & paintings   

Editorial Review

This book accompanies the traveling retrospective that inaugurated the newly reopened Yale Center for British Art in January 1999. Francis Bacon (1909-1992), the eminent British painter known for his large, colorful, and grotesque paintings of the human body, was very controlling of what was written about his work during his lifetime; this book marks the first time that each painting is individually discussed in print. Included in the book are essays that provide great insight into Bacon's life and personality. Especially revealing is an essay by Michael Peppiatt, Bacon's close friend and biographer (he wrote Read more

Reviews (5)

francis bacon is back from the grave
i love that francis bacon is credited in the title above as 'illustrator" in dennis farr's little retrospective.bacon who sought to avoid illustration in his paintings by creating a reality, often relying somewhat on chance, that if inaccurate was in his mind 'greater' than the truth.this taken from a very moving quote from van gogh, whose letters and paintings francis studied closely.the reverse landscape in question is in fact reversed - its like an error card.otherwise the text is intelligent and the body of work is well chosen but there are so many bacon paintings its hard to find a comprehensive publication.

Magnum Opus
Well, here it all is - the paintings, the analysis of the person, the milieu that aided in the production of this prodigious artist, brilliant essays that go further than predessors into the hows and whys of Francis Bacon - the much anticipated Retrospective book and exhibition.One of the finest aspects of this book is the placement of descriptions of the background and the implications of each painting adjacent to the work.No search party needed here.If only as much attention to detail would have been spent on the four color separations of the works then this would truly have been the definitive work about one of the most exciting painters of the last century...AND chronicler of the disintegration of society and mentality brought about by the dissecting sciences.

A Bacon Treasure
If you want to add an extraordinary book to your library, this is the one to buy. Francis Bacon's works, and words, are presented in a profoundly moving volume,with exquisite reproductions and intelligent essays bycurators and friends.Read more

Subjects:  1. 1909-    2. 1909-1992    3. Art    4. Art & Art Instruction    5. Bacon, Francis    6. Bacon, Francis,    7. Collections, Catalogs, Exhibitions - General    8. Collections, Catalogs, Exhibitions - Museum    9. European    10. Exhibition Catalogs    11. Exhibitions    12. History - Surrealism & Dadaism    13. Individual Artist    14. Art / Collections, Catalogs, Exhibitions    15. England    16. History of art & design styles: from c 1900 -    17. Individual artists    18. Museum, historic sites, gallery & art guides    19. Painting & paintings   

Reviews (1)

Definitive Volume
Of all the books in print about the works of Francis Bacon, so many of them can be browsed without paying much attention to the commentary.Not here.This volume is extravagantly illustrated with many lesser known paintings by Francis Bacon, but it doesn't stop there.There is a very fine chronological timeline with photographs which show us the progression of the artist, his friends, lovers, influencing photographs, and interactions with other artists of his day.There is also a complete Exibition Schedule which holds some fascinating bits of information even to the avid Bacon fan. There are many photographs of Bacon's infamous studio in all its squallid splendor - some with the artist, some after his death.For sheer joy in getting to know a troubled genius, this book should be high on the list of recommended texts. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Art    2. Art & Art Instruction    3. Art Criticism    4. Criticism    5. History - General    6. Individual Artist    7. Individual Painters - 20th Century    8. Art styles: c 1960 -    9. Individual artists    10. Painting & paintings   

Reviews (3)

A different slant
John Russell wrote this "biography" while Francis Bacon was very much alive and tends to emphasize the influences on Bacon's work more from an environmental standpoint than an art historian view.But to jump into Bacon's raucous life "in medias res" is a gift that now can be savoured, like picking the grapes off the vines that in years to come will become a fine vintage wine.A diversion, and only in black and white reproductions, but a rather important comment in retrospect.

A good introduction to Bacon but not a very deep analysis.
Like many biographies, Russell's work concentrates more on the man's times than on the man himself.While we learn a lot about what was going on around Bacon, what he himself experienced is left unexplored.Granted,Bacon made gathering biographical information very difficult, but I wouldhave appreciated more insightful analysis of Bacon's life and itsconnections to his work.Overall it is a very good introduction to Bacon'scareer and total output, and includes a huge number of pictures that makethe book extremely valuable as a reference.Unfortunately though, whilethere are many color reproductions, they are outnumbered by black and whiteones that take away from truly experiencing the power of Bacon's work.

francis bacon
WellireallythinkthatFrancis Baconisagreatartist. Ijust stratid readingabout hisartworkandhehassomanygoosdrawingslike Henrretta Moraes, and hisselftportrait. Theyareverinicedrawings.Soireally thinkhisgreatt. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 1909-    2. 1909-1992    3. Art    4. Art & Art Instruction    5. Bacon, Francis,    6. Biography    7. Great Britain    8. History - General    9. Individual Artist    10. Individual Painters - 20th Century    11. Painters    12. Techniques - Oil Painting    13. Bacon, Francis    14. History of art & design styles: from c 1900 -    15. Individual artists    16. Painting & paintings    17. United Kingdom, Great Britain   

Reviews (2)

Face Off
Francis Bacon jolted the art world in a way that is only now, some nine years after his death, being fully appreciated.During the final years of his bizarre life he achieved fame and museum acceptance and the accompanying high figure prices for his canvases.And of course soon after his death there was the usual debate about whether he was a painter or a one note song. This beautifully presented volume seems to dispell the latter, as here is documentation of all the head-only portraits Bacon painted of his friends and of himself.His usual "brutal vision" seems less forced when the paintings are accompanied by photogrphs of the models:some of Bacon's friends were fairly distorted before his brush hit the canvas!This book allows the reader to examine a narrow part of Bacon's output and in doing so focuses keenly on his view of the world, his pallete and his technique.Very fine essays by Milan Kundera and France Borel enhance this sensitive tribute to one of the more important 20th Century figurative painters.

Art Meets Occultism, and not for the first time...
For those of you who have spent considerable time reading about the Templars, Illuminatus, Masons, et. al. then this book would be of no shock to you.Francis Bacon in the disquise of an artist, in the disquise of the painted. The art itself lends itself to the greater mystery, and as such is a must have for any enthusiast. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 1909-    2. Art    3. Bacon, Francis,    4. Biography / Autobiography    5. Catalogs    6. England    7. Figurative expressionism    8. General    9. History - General    10. Individual Artist    11. Individual Painters - 20th Century    12. Portraits    13. Self-portraits    14. Bacon, Francis    15. History of art & design styles: from c 1900 -    16. Individual artists    17. Painting & paintings   

Reviews (2)

Beautifully produced, very accessible portrait of the artist
This is a beautifullyproduced little book, full of excellentreproductions and elaborate pull-outs of Bacon's triptychs which givegreater scope for appreciation than more conventional formats allow. Domino's text initially seems more simplistic than simple, discussing theartist's life, work, methods and themes very accessibly and predictably,but you end up with a clear sense of the art and its mechanics which mighthave been obscured in more technical books.It is as frustratinglyahistorical as Bacon's paintings though, and this book (as well as a recentvisit to teh Dublin retrospective) tends to confirm my suspicions thatBacon was not as great as we all once thought.The book appends a sectioncalled 'Documents', full of reminiscences from acquaintances, and analysesby the likes of Gilles Deleuze.

Compact but concise
Christophe Domino has managed to distill a body of work into a near pocket-sized edition, but with amamzing accuracy and attention to detail. As an admirer of Bacon's work and ideas, it is obvious that a book likethis would not have been possible without the seminal work of writers DavidSylvester and Michael Peppiatt respectively, but it is very well done nonethe less. From background information on the artist to one of the mostsuprising collection of photographic references available to date, theauthor does an outstanding job of doing with this book what most bookstwice this size struggle with. This book is highly recommended for anyonewho is curious about the work of Francis Bacon, or simply as an amazing andconcise review of facts for those who are already aware of the genius ofthe "greatest living (now deceased) painter". ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 1909-    2. 1909-1992    3. Art & Art Instruction    4. Artists, Architects, Photographers    5. Bacon, Francis    6. Bacon, Francis,    7. Biography    8. Biography & Autobiography    9. Biography/Autobiography    10. England    11. Individual Artist    12. Individual Painters - 20th Century    13. Painters    14. Art / Individual Artist   

Reviews (1)

Examining the Artistic Bonds between Picasso and Bacon
For all the many fine biographies and monographs on the important 20th century artist Francis Bacon, little has been said, until this informative volume, about the apparent powerful influence the art of Pablo Picasso had on Bacon's turning point in his brilliant career.Picasso authority Anne Baldassari shares with us the fact that it was the 1927 Picasso exhibition in Paris that shaped Bacon's artistic life, that being the point at which designer-oriented Bacon turned to painting.
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Subjects:  1. 20th Century Art    2. Art    3. Art & Art Instruction    4. Individual Artist    5. Art / Individual Artist    6. Painting & paintings   

Subjects:  1. 1909-    2. 1909-1992    3. Bacon, Francis    4. Bacon, Francis,    5. Biography    6. Biography/Autobiography    7. England    8. Individual Painters - Contemporary    9. Painters    10. Non-Classifiable   

Reviews (1)

An ImportantExamination of the Oeuvre of Francis Bacon
Just when you thought you had every treatise about the edgy painter of confrontational imagery from the brush of Francis Bacon, up pops this well designed and written book on just how this amazing artist approached an image, an idea, and carried that to completion.Written by Bacon scholar Hugh Marlais Davies and including an interview with the artist that to my knowledge finds its first publication in this volume, this small but impressive book served as a catalogue for the exhibition FRANCIS BACON: THE PAPAL PORTRAITS OF 1953 presented by the Museum of Contemporary art of San Diego in La Jolla, California in 2001.
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Subjects:  1. 1599-1660.    2. 1909-    3. Art    4. Art & Art Instruction    5. Bacon, Francis,    6. England    7. Exhibitions    8. Figurative expressionism    9. Individual Artist    10. Interviews    11. Painters    12. Pope Innocent X    13. Study for a portrait I-VIII    14. Subjects & Themes - Portraits    15. Subjects & Themes - Religious    16. Velâazquez, Diego,    17. Art styles: c First World War to 1960    18. Individual artists    19. Portraits in art    20. Roman Catholicism, Roman Catholic Church    21. c 1945 to c 1960   

Reviews (2)

Through the glass, brightly
Few artists of the 20th century have engendered as much controversy while having such an enormous impact on coming to grips with personal demons on canvas as Francis Bacon.Once again the erudite scholar David Sylvester has written about his friend in a way that makes all other collections of images and gossips about Bacon pale in comparison.This book is a true "retrospective", not only because if can look at the entire output of this enormously gifted painter, but it puts Bacon in a perspective of comparison and study of influences that span all of art history. Sylvester manages all this with his usual eloquence of writing style.This book is an academic treatise, but is is also a biography that looks carefully and thoughtfully at the mad mind and paintings of Francis Bacon.Highly recommended for Bacon devotees as well as those who still seek to understand the past century's art journey.

Looking Back At Francis Bacon
A truly excellent addition to any art enthusiast's collection of artists' books and mongraphs.This piece is a must-have for any fan of the artist's work...it fills in quite a few holes regarding Bacon in relation to his work and his working process.Even if you are unfamiliar with the artist's work, you will find Sylvester's prose will easily entice you into taking a good long look at one man's dark, yet triumphant take on humanity and the world we live in.Brilliant! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 1909-    2. 1909-1992    3. Art    4. Art & Art Instruction    5. Bacon, Francis,    6. Criticism    7. Criticism and interpretation    8. European    9. Individual Artist    10. Individual Painters - 20th Century    11. Bacon, Francis    12. Biography: general    13. Individual artists    14. Painting & paintings   

Subjects:  1. Biography: general    2. French    3. Individual artists   

Reviews (1)

An extraordinary and unusual art book
The Impact Of Chaim Soutine is an extraordinary and unusual art book tracing how the works of Chaim Soutine (1893-1943) affected the artistic sensibilities of avant garde artists de Kooning, Pollock, Dubuffet, and Bacon. Filled cover to cover with full-color reproductions of bold painting, each image is paired with comments directly attributed to Soutine and the great artists he affected. Enhanced with artist and studio photographs, a chronology and biography, and a roster of Soutine Paintings in the Galerie Gmurzynska Exhibition, The Impact Of Chaim Soutine is a truly stunning and informative look at the influence and legacy of a notable man's abstract art and a welcome addition to personal and academic Art History collections. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Art    2. Art & Art Instruction    3. Criticism    4. European    5. History - General    6. History - Modern (Late 19th Century to 1945)    7. 20th century    8. Expressionism    9. Individual artists    10. Painting & paintings    11. c 1800 to c 1900    12. History    13. General