Three Studies for Portrait of George Dyer (on pink ground) 1964

Francis Bacon made these three oil paintings of George Dyer on canvas, with a striking pink background. Bacon’s work often looks accidental, but it took a great deal of labor to achieve this effect. He was known for building up layers of paint, then scraping them away, a destructive approach that left a residue on the canvas. Look closely, and you'll see how the pink background is almost curdled, made thick and rough by the brush. This process mirrors the subject matter. Dyer's face seems to be coming apart, like an overripe fruit. Bacon was interested in capturing the raw emotionality of life, and for him, that meant showing the body in a state of decay. In a sense, the painting is a record of its own making, as well as a portrait of a man. Ultimately, Bacon's work reminds us that art is not just about what is depicted, but also about the physical act of creation, and the way that materials can be manipulated to express complex ideas about labor, time, and the human condition.