24 MuseoMag N°I 2025 WRESTLING WITH QUEERNESS Francis Bacon’s Two Figures We are lucky enough to have a triptych by Francis Bacon at the museum for the next year and a half thanks to a loan managed by ARTEX Global Markets, a stock exchange that aims to democratise invest- ment in art. Three Studies for Portrait of George Dyer (1963) portrays the artist’s lover George Dyer and gives us the occasion to explore different facets of Bacon’s life and work. In the last issue of the MuseoMag, we explored the tumultuous love affairs that shaped the artist both privately and professio- nally. This time, we turn more specifically to how Bacon paved the way for expressions of queerness in Wes- tern visual culture. Increasingly, the Bacon’s work is being examined through the lens of queer identity. Yet to fully understand this aspect of his oeuvre, we Francis Bacon, Two Figures, 1953, oil on canvas, 152.5 x 116.5cm, private collection © The Estate of Francis Bacon. All rights reserved, DACS/Artimage. Photo: Prudence Cuming Associates Ltd