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
