Painting Title: Study after Velazquez's Portrait of Pope Innocent X 1953

Francis Bacon

Famous Irish born English artist - 20th Century Painter

About the Study after Velazquez's Portrait of Pope Innocent X Painting

Francis Bacon often referred to other artists and used photographs as reference material for his paintings. This portrait is a distorted version of the Pope, from a painting by the Spanish artist Diego Velazquez that was painted in 1650. The scream of the Pope may also be referencing the famous painting by Edvard Munch, "The Scream".

Bacon was quoted as saying "We are born with a scream; we come into life with a scream, and maybe love is a mosquito net between the fear of living and the fear of death." It is not a quote that relates directly to this work, but has some relationship with it.

artquotes

Never been touched before

She said she'd never been

This far before

She said she'd never liked

To be excited

She said she'd always had

Had to fight it (and she never won)

She said she'd never been

Never been balled before

N' I don't think

She'll ever ball no more (fixed 'er good)

Hey Squealer - when I held her hand

Squealer - made her understand

Squealer - when I kissed her lips

Squealer - and sucked her finger tips

Squealer - she started getting hot

Squealer - made it hard to stop

Squealer - it got too much

Squealer - I think I've got the magic touch