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The Last Master

Irish-born British artist Francis Bacon is widely regarded as one of the most

successful painters of the 20

th

Century, and as the last modern master for his

innovations in portraiture and figuration.

Bacon lived through both world wars, which deeply influenced his work and

unique perspective on human suffering. His paintings are profound meditations

on vulnerability, characterized by an unsettling degree of realism.

His artistic practice was also impacted by his traumatic lived experiences

including abuse and homophobia, being rejected by his family, and the lasting

effects of abandonment. As a result, he interrogated both violence and

susceptibility throughout his career.

Leading the Global Market

During his lifetime, Bacon was already recognised as one of the most important

painters of the 20

th

century by museums and scholars. The development of his

market followed the same trend making him one of the most expensive artists

in the global market

In 2013 Three Studies of Lucian Freud 1969 fetched 1424 million at a

Christies sale the thenhighest price ever paid for an artwork at auction It

has then moved to the seventh position

Today Bacons works are held by significant museums and institutions across

the globe but about 70 of his œuvre still remain in private collections which

allows his market to sustain its development with available supply About a

quarter of Bacons painted production has been offered at auction over the

last 20 years

Francis

Bacon

1909 - 1992

583

paintings are known to exist

today in Bacons production

The Artist