20

E A R LY Y E A R S (1 9 2 9-1 9 4 3):

Bacon’s early works portrait a wide variety of styles. Over the years, he developed an

original approach to painting, marked by a dark palette, ghostly effects and charged

with symbolic meaning. Only a few works from this period have survived, since Bacon was

extremely self-critical and would regularly destroy the ones he was not satisfied with.

B I R T H O F A S T Y L I S T I C I D E N T I T Y (1 9 4 4-1 9 5 6):

By the end of the Second World War, Bacon had found his own artistic identity. In his

paintings, he explored human suffering as a core theme through distorted bodies and

screaming figures, like his famous ‘Popes’. His palette remained sombre, but his painting

technique evolved towards gestural brushstrokes, which became one of his trademarks.

T H E P O W E R O F C O L O U R (1 9 5 7-1 9 7 9):

Under the influence of Van Gogh, Bacon’s painting style underwent a dramatic

transformation. The layers of paint thickened, and he chose a colour palette that was

far brighter in range and hue. During this time, he produced multiple self-portraits and

portraits of his inner circle of friends. The triptych also became a recurring format. Bacon

reached artistic maturity and the pinnacle of success.

L AT E Y E A R S (1 9 8 0-1 9 9 2):

At about 70 years old, Bacon’s technique evolved towards greater simplicity. His refined

style exudes a sense of calm and serenity, far from the chaos observed in his previous

paintings. He employed monochromatic backgrounds in a palette of reds, oranges or

cooler tonalities placing emphasis on his subjects

Bacon’s works can be divided into 4 distinct periods:

1.

2.

3.

4.

I N B ACO N’S P R O D U C T I O N

Artistic

Periods

10M500M

20M1B

30M15B

40M2B

50M25B

20

40

60

80

100

Early years The power of colour Late Years

Birth of a stylistic identity

Price

Volume

Average sales price

Market share by artistic period