Francis Bacon was particularly drawn to the Picasso of 1926-1932 because Picasso’s works during this period resonated with Bacon’s emerging artistic vision, especially in their themes, techniques, and emotional intensity. Here are the key reasons why Bacon found this phase of Picasso’s work so compelling:
1. Distortion of the Human Figure
• Picasso’s 1926-1932 works, especially his biomorphic distortions of the human body, deeply influenced Bacon’s fascination with the vulnerability and malleability of the flesh.
• Picasso fragmented and reshaped the human form into grotesque yet evocative shapes, turning the body into a site of psychological and existential exploration.
• Bacon similarly sought to depict the human condition in a visceral and unsettling way, often distorting figures to expose their fragility and pain.
• Bacon’s Reaction:
• Bacon once remarked that Picasso’s twisted, deconstructed figures “opened up” new possibilities for art by showing how the human body could be transformed into something both abstract and emotionally charged.
2. Exploration of Violence and Vulnerability
• Picasso’s works of this period, such as his “Bone Women” and surreal depictions of the body, convey a sense of tension, violence, and eroticism.
• These themes aligned with Bacon’s lifelong preoccupation with the intersection of beauty, suffering, and destruction.
• Picasso’s treatment of the body as simultaneously sensual and grotesque likely struck a chord with Bacon’s own experiences and artistic goals.
3. Emotional and Psychological Depth
• Picasso’s surrealist-inspired works from this period delve into the subconscious, capturing the raw, often unsettling emotions that lie beneath the surface.
• Bacon admired how Picasso imbued his works with intense psychological resonance, turning abstract forms into carriers of human experience.
• For Bacon, Picasso demonstrated how art could transcend literal representation to convey the visceral truths of existence.
4. Breaking Free from Tradition
• Picasso’s 1926-1932 works shattered traditional boundaries of portraiture and figuration, liberating the artist to experiment with abstraction and symbolism.
• Bacon, who was self-taught and resisted conventional academic styles, found Picasso’s work revolutionary.
• Picasso’s innovations encouraged Bacon to reject realism and explore new ways of depicting the human condition.
5. Influence on Bacon’s Early Work
• Picasso’s 1926-1932 period was a direct inspiration for Bacon’s early works:
• Bacon’s 1933 painting “Crucifixion” shows clear echoes of Picasso’s biomorphic distortions and surrealist experimentation.
• The fragmented, contorted figures in Picasso’s works gave Bacon a framework for his own exploration of the grotesque and existentially charged human form.
6. A Shared Existential Perspective
• Both Picasso and Bacon were deeply attuned to the existential tensions of their respective times:
• Picasso’s works from this period reflect a world grappling with uncertainty, desire, and fragmentation in the interwar years.
• Bacon, painting in the aftermath of World War II, was equally concerned with the fragility and violence of human existence.
• Bacon likely saw in Picasso’s works a precursor to his own quest to portray the anguish and absurdity of life.
Conclusion
Francis Bacon was drawn to the Picasso of 1926-1932 because these works embodied a radical departure from tradition, exploring themes of violence, distortion, and the subconscious that resonated with Bacon’s own artistic and existential concerns. Picasso’s ability to distort the human form while preserving its emotional intensity provided Bacon with both inspiration and validation for his own explorations into the darker aspects of the human condition. Picasso, in this period, showed Bacon how to turn the wound of existence into a source of profound artistic expression.
