Figure Lying Flat c. 1957 - 1961

Curator: Francis Bacon's "Figure Lying Flat," held in the Tate Collections, feels like a fleeting thought captured in blue. Editor: It's spectral, almost a ghost of a figure. The blue is stark, lonely against the expanse of white paper. Was it a study for something larger, perhaps? Curator: Bacon often worked in series, exploring the rawness of the human condition. The sparseness here might amplify the figure's vulnerability, its isolation on the page mirroring existential themes prevalent in his work. Editor: Right, the way he uses negative space—it’s almost as important as the figure itself. The figure seems to be swallowed up by the blankness, a statement, perhaps, on the anonymity of modern life. Curator: Perhaps, or maybe it's simply a restless moment, caught on paper. It reminds us that even in sketches, Bacon found a way to make us feel something profound. Editor: Yes, it's undeniably haunting, even in its simplicity. Makes you wonder what he was thinking, doesn’t it?