‘Francis Bacon: graphic works’, a new exhibition at the Francis Bacon MB Art Foundation

The exhibition examines the processes and tools used to produce Bacon's prints and illuminates the circumstances of the works' creation. Through a selection of engravings, it explores the recurrent themes that nourished the painter's imagination.

Francis Bacon's stance towards printmaking was characterised by a notable ambivalence. Despite claiming to have no interest in the medium, he ended up agreeing to the reproduction of some of his major works and even became involved in the process of creating these prints.

The first part of the exhibition shows the metal plates used to create some of the engravings, alongside the images that resulted from them.

The hang furthermore emphasises the importance of repeating images, a practice favoured by Bacon, which manifests itself in his graphic works in the principle of reproduction.

Through a selection of prints, the exhibition explores certain themes which were dear to the British painter. Bacon’s favoured themes, which encompass the human figure, bullfighting, Greek mythology and religious subjects, share a common characteristic: a marked interest in the human condition. The presentation of these graphic works therefore provides an opportunity to examine in depth the narratives which stem from these themes.

The display is also punctuated by photographs and working documents from the artist's various studios, as well as journals and folios that provide a better understanding of Bacon's approach to engraving.

All the pieces presented come from the MB Art Collection – the private collection of the founder of the Francis Bacon MB Art Foundation.