Study for a portrait of John Edwards, 1986

Francis Bacon is one of the most recognized figurative painters of the 20th century. His unique approach to painting has been influencing artists like Jenny Saville or Damien Hirst. Bacon's signature style is characterized by an energetic and visceral way of painting, with flat backgrounds and a powerful sense of motion. Exploring the human figure in its most distorted aspect, his imagery is often defined as terrifying because of the emotional physicality he attributes to each brushstroke. For Bacon, life inspired art, drawing on the themes and people that surrounded him and on the feelings that were found within him. He aimed to create art that challenged the viewer and resonated with his own personal world. Considered one of the most important British painters of modern age, Bacon’s paintings are among the world’s most valuable works of postwar art.

Study for a portrait of John Edwards constitutes one of Bacon’s most personal portraits, featuring the artist’s trusted companion John Edwards. Abandoning the disturbing and gruesome style that dominated his 1970’s works, Edwards is rendered in more delicate and pastel brushstrokes. This lithograph is an extraordinary example of the power of interpersonal relationships in Bacon’s oeuvre, at the base of his masterful representation and exploration of the human form.