Francis Bacon Paintings on Loan

Time: various

In 1998, John Edwards, Bacon's sole heir, generously donated the entire contents of Francis Bacon's studio at 7 Reece Mews to the Hugh Lane Gallery. This remarkable donation is the most important received by the Gallery since it was established by Sir Hugh Lane in 1908.

Francis Bacon lived and worked in 7 Reece Mews, South Kensington, London from 1961 until his death in 1992. This was the most important room in the artist's life. Bacon said himself of his cluttered studio, "I feel at home here in this chaos because chaos suggests images to me." Bacon rarely painted from life and the heaps of torn photographs, fragments of illustrations, books, catalogues, magazines and newspapers provided nearly all of his visual sources. Some of the most significant studio items include seventy works on paper and one hundred slashed canvases. The vast array of artist's materials, household paint pots, used and unused paint tubes, paint brushes, cut-off ends of corduroy trousers and cashmere sweaters record the diversity of Bacon's techniques. It is from here that Bacon's stature grew into that of the pre-eminent figurative painter of the late 20th century.

The Francis Bacon Studio was recently listed as one of only three Irish artworks in The Guardian's 1000 Artworks To See Before You Die series.

Admission is free. 28th October marks the centenary of the birth of Francis Bacon at 63 Baggot Street, Dublin in 1908.

Opening Times
Tuesday - Thursday 10.00 - 6.00
Friday & Saturday 10.00 - 5.00
Sunday 11.00 - 5.00
Closed Monday

Further Info
http://www.hughlane.ie

Image of Francis Bacon by Michael Pergolani. (Copyright: Michael Pergolani.)