Three Studies for Figures at the Base of a Crucifixion 1944

These Three Studies for Figures at the Base of a Crucifixion were painted by Francis Bacon, and are now held at the Tate Britain in London. Bacon evokes visceral horror through distorted figures against a stark, blood-red backdrop, echoing the emotional intensity of Matthias Grünewald's Isenheim Altarpiece. Consider the motif of the open mouth, a recurring symbol found across cultures from ancient Greek masks to Edvard Munch’s The Scream. The mouth here is not an expression of speech but a primal, animalistic cry—a manifestation of existential dread and the agony of existence. This motif transcends time, reappearing in various artistic and cultural forms, each iteration carrying echoes of its predecessors, accumulating layers of meaning and emotional resonance. The image taps into our collective unconscious, stirring deep-seated anxieties.