Study for a Pope IV 1961

Francis Bacon made this 'Study for a Pope IV' sometime during his career. The colours, they're like flesh turned inside out, aren't they? A process of revealing what's underneath the surface, both literally in terms of paint layers and figuratively in terms of what’s buried within us. Look at the way Bacon attacks the canvas. The paint is thin in places, almost like a stain, and thick in others, giving it a visceral quality. See the pope’s hands clasped together? It's both a gesture of power and vulnerability. The way he renders the face – it's a mask, a scream, a distortion. Bacon wasn't interested in prettifying. He wanted to capture the raw nerve. Bacon’s work feels like a continuation of artists like Goya, who also weren't afraid to confront the dark side of humanity. His work reminds us that art is a conversation, an ongoing wrestling match with the big questions, and sometimes the only answers are more questions.