Francis Bacon Triptych 1983 Lithograph For Sale

Francis Bacon's Triptych 1983 is a striking example of his later work, demonstrating the artist’s ongoing exploration of human vulnerability, mortality, and the haunting presence of death. This triptych, consisting of three lithographs, represents the continuation of Bacon’s iconic triptych format, a three-part composition that he favoured throughout his career. Born in Dublin in 1909, Bacon became one of the most influential figurative painters of the 20th century, with his works focusing on intense themes like violence, suffering, and existential dread. While Bacon is well known for painting subjects as diverse as popes, crucifixions, and bullfights, his later work, including *Triptych 1983*, reflects a deeper and more introspective examination of the human condition.

The set deviate somewhat from the raw brutality and visceral nature of Bacon’s earlier works, where human and animal forms were depicted with unnerving intensity. Here, a deep orange background dominates all three panels, creating a stark contrast with the light, fleshy tones of the figures within. This bold, solid backdrop lends an unsettling stillness to the composition, giving the sense that the figures exist in an isolated, almost otherworldly realm. The simplicity of the background intensifies the focus on the semi-human figures, whose forms are distorted, dehumanised, and ambiguous.

In the left panel, a distorted figure is seated on an abstracted chair. The figure’s limbs appear grotesquely exaggerated, with a leg resembling that of a dead animal more than a human. This distortion recalls Bacon’s earlier work, such as *Figure With Meat* (1954), where the body was treated with a raw, almost primal intensity. The shadow of the figure, which stretches out in a fluid, ghost-like form, adds to the sense of disembodiment, creating an eerie contrast between the physical and the ephemeral. The unpainted section beneath the figure suggests a stage or plinth, further enhancing the sense that the figure is on display, exposed and vulnerable.

The central panel of the triptych is dominated by a biomorphic, phantom-like figure that appears to be in motion, walking toward a black, rectangular void. This void is a recurring motif in Bacon’s later work, symbolising death, oblivion, or an existential abyss. The figure itself, less human than the other two, appears ghostly and intangible, reinforcing the idea of death’s ever-present influence. The smoke-like lines emanating from the figure and the void suggest a process of dissolution or transition, as though the figure is being drawn into the darkness. This imagery echoes Bacon’s preoccupation with mortality and the fleeting nature of existence.

The right panel presents the most human-like figure of the triptych. A male figure sits defiantly in a one-legged chair, his body turned outward as if facing the viewer directly. This figure appears more substantial, grounded, and self-assured than the others, yet he is still framed by Bacon’s characteristic sense of isolation. Behind him, another framing device, a stark geometric structure, enhances the sense that the figure is enclosed, cut off from the world around him. The shadow cast by the figure extends outward, creating a connection between the material and the immaterial, the living and the dead.

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