Unveiling The Screaming Pope: Bacon's Art & Inspiration
Can a single image truly capture the turmoil of an era, the anxieties of the human condition, and the unsettling power of institutional authority? Francis Bacon's paintings of screaming popes, born from a fascination with Diego Velzquez's portrait of Pope Innocent X, answer with a resounding yes.
Bacon's artistic explorations, particularly his series of Popes, weren't just about depicting a figure; they were a visceral examination of power, vulnerability, and the inherent brutality of existence. The dark, often grotesque backgrounds amplified the nightmarish quality of these works, catapulting Bacon to prominence in the early 1950s. He achieved this by taking a well-known and respected portrait and making it his own, twisting it into something that was both disturbing and compelling. His genius lay in his ability to take a familiar image and transform it, using a disturbing palette and violent brushstrokes.
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Francis Bacon |
| Born | October 28, 1909, Dublin, Ireland |
| Died | April 28, 1992 (aged 82), Madrid, Spain |
| Nationality | British (Born in Ireland) |
| Known For | Figurative paintings characterized by their raw, unsettling imagery and distorted figures. Most notably, his series of 'Screaming Popes.' |
| Key Influences | Diego Velzquez, Pablo Picasso, film imagery (particularly Sergei Eisensteins Battleship Potemkin) |
| Artistic Style | Expressionism, Figurative, Surrealist |
| Themes | Mortality, violence, the human condition, isolation, sexuality, power |
| Notable Works | Study after Velzquez's Portrait of Pope Innocent X (1953), Three Studies for Figures at the Base of a Crucifixion (1944), Figure with Meat (1954) |
| Education | Self-taught |
| Relationship | Peter Lacy |
| Website | Official Website (Francis Bacon Estate) |
The "Study after Velzquez's Portrait of Pope Innocent X," painted in 1953, epitomizes Bacon's approach. He took the serene depiction of the Spanish artist's confident client and reimagined him as a screaming victim, trapped in a world of existential dread. The artist updated the seventeenth-century image, fundamentally altering its emotional core. The original, a portrait of papal power, was transformed by Bacon into a canvas of torment. The result is nightmarish, challenging, and, for some, deeply blasphemous. The violence in this painting is as horrifying as its subject; the distorted figure evokes a sense of intense suffering. Its a painting that forces the viewer to confront the uncomfortable truth of human frailty.
The painting, created with oil on canvas, distorts the original portrait of Pope Innocent X, painted around 1650. The screaming figure, caught in a vortex of anguish, is a far cry from Velzquezs dignified portrayal. This wasnt a simple act of imitation; it was a radical reinterpretation. The background is dark, lending to a grotesque and nightmarish tone, which emphasizes the emotional intensity of the figure. The use of intense colors and violent brushstrokes creates a sense of unease, perfectly reflecting the artist's vision.
The 1950s were a period of extraordinary creative output for Bacon. He was feverishly experimenting with new subjects and styles. The "screaming pope" became an iconic image, linked to post-existential angst and Friedrich Nietzsches concept of the 'death of God'. This was not a casual commentary on religion; it was an exploration of the crumbling foundations of belief in a modern world. Bacon, a staunch atheist, exposed the pope as an empty symbol by visually deconstructing the powerful figure portrayed by Velzquez.
In contrast to earlier, more restrained portrayals, these paintings show a figure distorted by emotion. These works are often described collectively as 'screaming popes', they are more typically grinning or grimacing, in contrast this example is noticeably expressionless and stony, further adding to the unsettling nature of the piece. In the summer and fall of 1952, Bacon painted a series of six small portrait heads; this illustrates his interest in the subject, with the iconic figure reoccurring in later works by Bacon such as Pope III (1951), Study for the Head of a Screaming Pope (1952), and a full-length nude, Study for the Nurse in the film Battleship Potemkin (1957). Where he took that figure, into often unsettling portraits, made him one of the giants of contemporary British art.
Bacon's first image of a screaming pope which has never been exhibited publicly was due to go on show at Gagosian Gallery in London. It is important to compare Velzquez's painting of Pope Innocent X (1650) and Bacon's study after Velzquez's portrait of Innocent X (1953). The artist was trying to assess the reasons for Bacon's obsession with the image of the pope.
Bacon's studio, a chaotic haven of inspiration, was covered in art books, photos, and magazine clippings. He used these references freely in his work, weaving them into his unique vision. His descriptor 'study after' in the title qualifies his aims, which entailed deconstructing the original image and offering a new interpretation.
Most infamously, Bacon painted a series of 45 paintings, all derived from Diego Velzquez's portrait of Pope Innocent X, which features a screaming face on the pope. The unsettling result, a direct assault on the sacred, challenges the viewer's expectations. In the Des Moines Art Center's great painting, the 'Study after Velzquez's Portrait of Pope Innocent X,' Bacon transforms the Spanish artist's confident client and relaxed leader into a screaming victim.
The theme of the pontiff is Bacons most celebrated as well as notorious creation. The result can be a disturbing and a blasphemous portrayal for those who see the image of the pope as sacred. In the Bacon painting, the pope is shown as a gruesome figure and placed between two bisected halves of a cow.Bacon's use of the figure was a way for him to explore the human condition. His works are not easy viewing, they are intended to make the viewer question what they are seeing and feeling. The violent brushstrokes and distorted forms create a sense of unease and discomfort. His ability to transform a well-known figure into something so disturbing is a testament to his artistic skill.
Inspired by Sergei Eisensteins Battleship Potemkin and Velzquezs Portrait of Pope Innocent X, Bacon painted Study after Velzquez's Portrait of Pope Innocent X, a painting that is both scary yet beautiful. It's one of Bacons most famous paintings and one of the best displays of his iconic, violent brushstrokes.
The painting is more than just a portrait; it's a commentary on the human condition and the anxieties of the post-war world. It speaks to the artist's fascination with mortality, violence, and the fragility of the human body. The dark background and the distorted figure of the pope create a sense of unease and make the painting unsettling to the viewer.
Francis Bacon Screaming Pope painting art lover Painting by Anna Gary
Screaming Pope Fragment by Francis Bacon Art.Salon
Screaming pope francis bacon hi res stock photography and images Alamy
