Francis Bacon's Library - (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

Reading Francis Bacon's art through his personal book collection

This is the first publication to deal exclusively with the fascinating subject of Francis Bacon's collection of books and magazines and its role as visual and intellectual source material for his paintings. Bacon was a bibliophile who owned around 1,300 publications on a host of subjects as diverse as art, photography, cinema, sport, travel, cookery, the occult, politics, philosophy, history, antiquity, medical issues and many more. His interest in literature ranged from W.B. Yeats, T.S. Eliot, Aeschylus and Shakespeare to Jane Austen and Agatha Christie. Francis Bacon's Library reveals the wealth of material in Hugh Lane Gallery's archive of Francis Bacon material, which was generously donated by the Estate of Francis Bacon. This richly illustrated book contains texts by Monika Keska, who cataloged Bacon's library, and Barbara Dawson, Director of Hugh Lane Gallery.
British artist Francis Bacon (1909-92) worked in furniture design and interior decoration until 1945, when his career as a painter took off. His canvases of the 1940s bore witness to the traumatized psychology of the time and bestowed upon him a prominence that did not diminish in the course of his 50-year career.

Review Quotes

Richly illustrated and meticulously researched, the volume captures the intellectual chaos and creative spark of Bacon's private world. With text by Monika Keska and Barbara Dawson, it is a bibliophile's dream and an art historian's goldmine. The catalogue bridges literary influence and visual expression, from W B Yeats to Agatha Christie. A vital addition to the canon of Bacon studies, and a reminder that great art often begins in the margin.--Viola Raikhel "T Magazine: Australia"