MuseoMag: MuseoMag 2024_04

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Title:: MuseoMag

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Title:: MuseoMag 2024_04

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Title:: Obsession and desire: Francis Bacon's lovers

6 MuseoMag N°IV 2024 Francis Bacon (1909-1992), Three Studies for Portrait of George Dyer, 1963, oil on canvas, in three parts, 35.5 x 30.5 cm (each). The first publicly listed Masterpiece on Artex Global Markets. Owned by Art Share 002. OBSESSION AND DESIRE Francis Bacon’s lovers In 1963, Francis Bacon met George Dyer, his greatest muse and lover. Their first encounter is shrouded in myth. Some say Dyer, a small-time thief from London’s East End, was caught breaking into Bacon’s studio in London. Bacon himself claims that the pair met in a bar in Soho. Either way, it was the start of an intense and complicated relationship that lasted almost a decade, ending abruptly with Dyer’s suicide in 1971. Overwhelmed with grief, Bacon continued to paint Dyer after his tragic death; indeed, his lover appeared in more than 40 paintings throughout his career. We are lucky enough to have Bacon’s very first portrait of Dyer on display at our museum for the next two years. This triptych is also the first work of art to be listed on ARTEX Global Markets, a trading venue that aims to democratise investment in art. Painted just a few months after they first met, Three Studies for Portrait of George Dyer (1963) depicts Dyer in pink and turquoise undertones, the face distorted in the artist’s signature style which draws on the aesthetics of flesh and meat, peeling away the skin to expose the tortured psyche beneath. The violence of the rendering is palpable, as is the sense of fervent devotion, evident in the triptych format traditionally used in religious worship. This simultaneous sense of rage and passion is typical of Bacon’s portrayal of his lover, whom he painted obsessively over the following years. To mark the arrival of the very first portrait of George Dyer at the museum, we take a moment to consider the tumultuous love affairs that shaped Bacon’s life and work. PETER LACY: THE ABUSIVE FIGHTER PILOT Turbulent relationships with complex, difficult men were a recurring feature in Bacon’s love life and left an indelible mark on his work. Before he met Dyer, Bacon was romantically involved with Peter Lacy, often portrayed as a fighter pilot and abusive drunk. They first met a private members’ club in Soho in 1952 and started an on-and-off relationship marked by passion, but also violence, until Lacy’s death in © The Estate of Francis Bacon. All rights reserved, DACS 2024, Photo: Tom Lucas / MNAHA

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