The Sadist, Neurotic and Masochistic Life of Francis Bacon
The mystery behind his scary paintings
David Sylvester, a British art critic and curator, described Francis Bacon's paintings as, “raw, dark and visceral, Bacon’s images were disquieting from the outset.”
Yesterday, I saw a BBC Documentary on Youtube: Francis Bacon: A Brush with Violence. I have been postponing this for the longest time ever. The glimpses of a few of his violent artworks consciously kept me away.
But after spending the weekend reading a cathartic book by Suleika Jaouad’s Between Two Kingdoms: A Memoir of a Life Interrupted, I felt sad and empty.
While I might not discuss why I felt that way, but for now, my desperation took me to this documentary.
I won’t say that I liked watching Bacon’s extremely broken and fragile life but it certainly unraveled the tumultuous relationships in his life.
Disturbing childhood
Francis Bacon was born in 1909, in an Irish rabid protestant family. He had difficult dynamics with his father since childhood. His father was a veteran and a racehorse trainer. He was always angered by Bacon’s effeminate gestures and dressing. A story emerged that once Bacon was caught by his father wearing his mother’s underwear…
