Francis Bacon

Exists in two versions: Edition of 200 with Arabic numbering and a further 170 with Arabic numbering. no known proofs. Inspired by the painting of the same title in the collection of a private collector.

Metropolitan Museum of Art embodies Bacon's signature exploration of human suffering, isolation, and psychological tension. The work features distorted human forms placed on a tilted, stage-like platform, creating an unsettling sense of confinement and alienation. The fragmented, contorted figures symbolise internal and external struggles, emphasising the instability of the human condition.

The central figure, twisted in pain or exertion, highlights Bacon’s focus on the vulnerability and fragility of the body. A second, more amorphous figure lies on the edge of the platform, adding tension through its passive, almost defeated posture. The background features two eerie, exaggerated portraits of men in suits, their detached gazes contributing to a feeling of surveillance and judgement. The contrast between the figures' raw physicality and the stark, geometric environment heightens the sense of alienation, while the viewer is made complicit in this unsettling spectacle, reinforcing Bacon’s themes of exposure and existential suffering

For further information on the original painting please visit the Francis Bacon Estate page: https://www.francis-bacon.com/artworks/paintings/triptych-1974-1977.