Study after Velazquez 1950

Francis Bacon made this 198 x 137 cm painting on canvas titled, Study after Velazquez. It represents a figure reminiscent of Pope Innocent X, the famous portrait by Spanish artist Velazquez. Painted during the post-war period, Bacon’s haunting image speaks to the existential anxieties of its time. The distorted figure and screaming mouth suggest a world of violence and instability. The work's references to religion and power, made in the aftermath of the Second World War, speak to the collapse of traditional structures of authority. In the mid-20th century, figures like the Pope carried a lot of symbolic and political weight. The painting both acknowledges and critiques the power of institutions. Art historians use archives, letters, and historical records to better understand how social conditions shaped artistic production. Examining Bacon’s world, and the institutions he engaged with, helps us interpret the meaning of his art.