Portrait of Henrietta Moraes 1969

Editor: This is Francis Bacon’s 1969 “Portrait of Henrietta Moraes,” an oil painting that feels intensely vulnerable. There’s a distortion of the face that makes me uneasy. What do you see in this piece? Curator: The unease you describe, I think, is key to understanding Bacon. This portrait isn't just about capturing Henrietta Moraes' likeness; it’s about conveying something deeper, something about the anxieties and fragilities of being. Bacon was working in a time of great social upheaval, the aftershocks of war and the rise of existentialism, the challenges to social and sexual norms. What do you notice about the way the face is rendered? Editor: Well, the face is kind of smudged or blurred. It almost feels like it’s melting into the yellow background. Curator: Exactly. Bacon often used this technique. It disrupts traditional notions of portraiture. He was influenced by photography and film. The blurring, in particular, calls into question stable identity, which connects to feminist and queer theory discussions around gender and sexuality as fluid constructs. Do you think it affects how we perceive Moraes? Editor: I think so. The distortion makes her less idealized, more real and exposed somehow. Less of a constructed image, maybe. Curator: Precisely. Moraes was an important figure in London’s bohemian circles and was an outspoken woman, pushing against societal norms. This painting honors her authenticity by portraying her internal turmoil, a disruption of conventional beauty standards, as the cost of daring to be different in a repressive social and political system. It makes us reconsider who is valued in art and why. Editor: Wow, I hadn't thought about the historical context. So, the portrait isn't just a distortion; it's a statement. Curator: Absolutely! Art is always a dialogue with its time, reflecting and often challenging the norms we inherit. Editor: I'll never look at another Bacon the same way.