Francis Bacon painting : political issue in the United Kingdom And Simon de Pury launching new auction

The Estate of Francis Bacon. All rights reserved. DACS 2022. Photo credit: Leicester Museums and Galleries

1.Francis Bacon has become the subject of political controversy in Leicester, England.

A £20 million painting by Francis Bacon has become the subject of political controversy in Leicester, England. The painting, titled Lying Figure No. 1 (1959), was recently removed from display at the Leicester Museum and Art Gallery. The city's council, which owns the artwork, cited limited space as the reason for its removal. Liberal Democrat councillor Nigel Porter has called for the painting to be put back on display, arguing that it is a valuable asset for the city. The city's mayor, Peter Soulsby, has defended the council's decision, stating that the painting will be put back on display in rotation as space becomes available.

English painter Francis Bacon, January 1984. Photo: Ulf Andersen/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images.

2. Who is Francis Bacon?

Francis Bacon was an Irish-born British painter known for his raw, unsettling imagery. He focused on the human form, and his subjects included portraits of popes, self-portraits, and portraits of friends, sometimes isolated in geometrical structures. Bacon rejected various classifications of his work, saying he aimed to capture "the brutality of fact." He built a reputation as one of the leading contemporary artists with his unique style. Bacon typically focused on a single subject for sustained periods, often in triptych or diptych formats. He did not begin painting until his late 20s, and his breakthrough came with the 1944 triptych Three Studies for Figures at the Base of a Crucifixion. After the suicide of his lover George Dyer in 1971, Bacon's art became darker and more introspective. He continued to produce portraits of friends and self-portraits, and his later work is marked by masterpieces like Study for Self-Portrait (1982) and Study for a Self-Portrait—Triptych (1985-86). Since his death, Bacon's reputation has grown, and his work is highly sought-after.

Auctioneer Simon de Pury, in Mayfair, London, 2015 © Victoria Birkinshaw

3. Simon de Pury launching new auction for Gallery and Artist

Auctioneer Simon de Pury is launching a series of online auctions called de PURY, in which artworks are consigned directly from artists and galleries. Winning bidders will pay an 18% premium, with a portion going to a charity. The first auction, "WOMEN: Art in Times of Chaos", will feature work by female artists created in the last two and a half years. Buyers will be asked to hold onto their purchases for at least three years, and the names of all bidders will be shared with the artist and their gallery. The auctions will be presided over by an avatar of de Pury.