1996 Francis Bacon Poster, Three Studies of the Male Back 1970 Haus der Kunst Munich, Figurative Realism, gallery exhibition, wall art decor

1996 Francis Bacon Poster, Three Studies of the Male Back 1970, Haus der Kunst, Munich, Figurative Realism, gallery exhibition, wall art decor

This Francis Bacon poster is from the Haus der Kunst in Munchen for a 1996 exhibition featuring Three Studies of the Male Back of which this is the first panel. All show his partner of the time, George Dyer.
From: Haus der Kunst, Munich
Dimensions: 33 in x 23.5 in (84 cm x 60 cm)

Three Studies of the Male Back is a 1970 oil-on-canvas triptych by the British painter Francis Bacon. Typical of Bacon's figurative but abstract and distorted style, it depicts male figures isolated within flat nondescript interior spaces. Each figure is a portrait of Bacon's lover George Dyer. This poster shows only the first panel.

There are similarities and differences between the three depictions of the male figure. Each man is shown sitting on a pedestal, within a trapezoidal box-like cage, facing away from the viewer. The framework encloses - almost entraps - the human figure. In each of the two side panels, a classical perspective would have the edge of the cage logically obscured behind the figure, but instead Bacon has the frame crossing the back of its head.
The figure in each side panel is placed in front of a shaving mirror, but the glass visible to the viewer distorts the reflection. Splashes of red suggest injury. The smooth pink back of the figure in the left panel contrasts with the knotted red and blue tones of the figure in the right hand panel. The figure in the central panel sits in front of a mirror reading a newspaper, but the mirror is a flat grey and does not reflect.

Francis Bacon was an Irish-born British figurative painter known for his raw, unsettling imagery. Focusing on the human form, his subjects included crucifixions, portraits of popes, self-portraits, and portraits of close friends, with abstracted figures sometimes isolated in geometrical structures. Rejecting various classifications of his work, Bacon said he strove to render "the brutality of fact." He built up a reputation as one of the giants of contemporary art with his unique style.

Bacon said that he saw images "in series", and his work, which numbers in the region of 590 extant paintings along with many others he destroyed, typically focused on a single subject.

What is special about exhibition and gallery posters is that they are an affordable way of getting good, unique art on the walls, as although it is not an artists original, neither is it something that has been mass reproduced.

Because of the age of these posters, there are areas of wear and tear, particularly on the edges. I have done my best to take photos where they are torn. The good news is that when framed, the tears press up well against glass, and edges can be hidden by mats. Any wear picked up from years are part of the charm.

These posters are sent as unframed. They are delivered in a cardboard tube for protection.

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