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Francis Bacon in his studio in Battersea, London, 1960. Photo: © The Cecil Beaton Studio Archive at Sotheby’s

In Conversation

Mark Stevens and Annalyn Swan
With Sebastian Smee

Wednesday, October 20, 2021, 6:30pm EDT

Authors Mark Stevens and Annalyn Swan will discuss their new book, Francis Bacon: Revelations, with Washington Post art critic Sebastian Smee in a conversation presented by the New York Studio School of Drawing, Painting & Sculpture. A decade in the making, the book offers the first comprehensive look at the life and art of Francis Bacon, who produced indelible images of humankind and played an outsized role in both twentieth-century art and life. Bacon was a witty free spirit and unabashed homosexual at a time when many others remained closeted, and his exploits were as unforgettable as his paintings. Revelations offers a more complete, nuanced, and international portrait than ever before of this singularly private, darkly funny, eruptive man and his equally extraordinary art. To join the online event, register at zoom.us.

Francis Bacon in his studio in Battersea, London, 1960. Photo: © The Cecil Beaton Studio Archive at Sotheby’s

Francis Bacon: Revelations (New York: Knopf Publishing Group, 2021)

In Conversation

Mark Stevens and Annalyn Swan
With Michael Cary

Tuesday, April 6, 2021, 6pm EDT

Authors Mark Stevens and Annalyn Swan will discuss their new book, Francis Bacon: Revelations, with Gagosian director Michael Cary in a conversation presented by 192 Books and Paula Cooper Gallery. A decade in the making, the book offers the first comprehensive look at the life and art of Francis Bacon, who produced indelible images of humankind and played an outsized role in both twentieth-century art and life. Bacon was a witty free spirit and unabashed homosexual at a time when many others remained closeted, and his exploits were as unforgettable as his paintings. Revelations offers a more complete, nuanced, and international portrait than ever before of this singularly private, darkly funny, eruptive man and his equally extraordinary art. To join the online eventvisit paulacoopergallery-studio.com.

Francis Bacon: Revelations (New York: Knopf Publishing Group, 2021)

Visions of the Self: Rembrandt and Now (London: Gagosian, 2020)

Book Launch

Visions of the Self
Rembrandt and Now

Tuesday, March 17, 2020, 6:30–8:30pm
Kenwood House, London
www.english-heritage.org.uk

In the interest of public health, this event has been postponed until further notice.

Gagosian is pleased to host a drinks reception to celebrate the release of Visions of the Self: Rembrandt and Now, published on the occasion of the recent eponymous exhibition at Gagosian, Grosvenor Hill, London. Organized in partnership with English Heritage, the exhibition places Rembrandt’s masterpiece Self-Portrait with Two Circles (c. 1665) in dialogue with self-portraits by Francis Bacon, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Lucian Freud, and Pablo Picasso, as well as leading contemporary artists such as Georg Baselitz, Glenn Brown, Urs Fischer, Damien Hirst, Howard Hodgkin, Giuseppe Penone, Richard Prince, Jenny Saville, Cindy Sherman, and Rudolf Stingel, among others. The catalogue includes an introduction by Wendy Monkhouse, senior curator at English Heritage, and a text by art historian David Freedberg. To attend the free event, RSVP to londonevents@gagosian.com. Space is limited.

Visions of the Self: Rembrandt and Now (London: Gagosian, 2020)

Gagosian at Galeries Lafayette Champs-Élysées, Paris, 2019

Visit

Gagosian at Galeries Lafayette Champs-Élysées

Opening reception: Saturday, October 12, 6:30–8pm
October 12–20, 2019
Galeries Lafayette Champs-Élysées, Paris
galerieslafayettechampselysees.com

In celebration of FIAC in Paris, Gagosian is pleased to collaborate with Galeries Lafayette Champs-Élysées on a two-floor pop-up takeover featuring products related to Gagosian artists. On the first floor, the Coin Culture section will feature catalogues, posters, apparel, and audio productions. The second floor, the Library, will house an additional selection of limited-edition books, publications, and catalogues raisonnés.

Download the full press release in English (PDF) or French (PDF)

Gagosian at Galeries Lafayette Champs-Élysées, Paris, 2019

Francis Bacon: Couplings (London: Gagosian, 2019). Artwork © The Estate of Francis Bacon. All rights reserved/DACS, London/Artimage 2019

In Conversation

Richard Calvocoressi and Martin Harrison on Francis Bacon

Friday, October 4, 2019, 5:30–7:30pm
Hatchards, Piccadilly, London
hatchards.co.uk

Join Gagosian at Hatchards, London’s oldest bookshop, to celebrate the publication of Francis Bacon: Couplings. Gagosian curator Richard Calvocoressi and leading Bacon scholar Martin Harrison, both contributors to the catalogue, will discuss the artist’s double-figure paintings, which were recently on view at Gagosian, Grosvenor Hill, London. To attend the free event, RSVP to baconrsvp@gagosian.com. Space is limited. 

Francis Bacon: Couplings (London: Gagosian, 2019). Artwork © The Estate of Francis Bacon. All rights reserved/DACS, London/Artimage 2019

Installation view, Francis Bacon: Couplings, Gagosian, Grosvenor Hill, London, June 6–August 3, 2019. Artwork © The Estate of Francis Bacon. All rights reserved, DACS 2019. Photo: Mike Bruce

Tour

Francis Bacon
Couplings

Wednesday, June 19, 2019, 6pm
Gagosian, Grosvenor Hill, London

Gagosian director and art historian Richard Calvocoressi will lead a tour of the exhibition Francis Bacon: Couplings at Gagosian, Grosvenor Hill, London. The exhibition of Bacon’s double-figure paintings explores a theme that preoccupied the artist throughout his career: the relationship between two people, both physical and psychological. The event has reached capacity. To join the wait list, contact londontours@gagosian.com

Installation view, Francis Bacon: Couplings, Gagosian, Grosvenor Hill, London, June 6–August 3, 2019. Artwork © The Estate of Francis Bacon. All rights reserved, DACS 2019. Photo: Mike Bruce

See all Events for Francis Bacon

Museum Exhibitions

Rick Lowe, Fire #4: This Time Athens, 2023, Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Washington, DC © Rick Lowe Studio

Opening this Week

Revolutions
Art from the Hirshhorn Collection, 1860–1960

March 22, 2024–April 20, 2025
Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Washington, DC
hirshhorn.si.edu

Revolutions is a major survey of 270 artworks by 126 artists from the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden’s permanent collection. Celebrating the museum’s fiftieth anniversary, the exhibition aims to capture the shifting cultural landscapes of a century defined by new currents in science and philosophy and ever-increasing mechanization. Shown alongside these historic works are contributions from nineteen contemporary artists whose practices demonstrate how many revolutionary ideas from a hundred years ago remain critical today. Work by Francis Bacon, Amoako Boafo, Alexander Calder, Willem de Kooning, Helen FrankenthalerRick LoweSally Mann, Man Ray, Henry MoorePablo PicassoNathaniel Mary Quinn, and Cy Twombly is included.

Rick Lowe, Fire #4: This Time Athens, 2023, Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Washington, DC © Rick Lowe Studio

Installation view, El eco de Picasso, Museo Picasso Málaga, Spain, October 2, 2023–March 31, 2024. Artwork, left to right: © Rebecca Warren, © Richard Prince. Photo: Pablo Asenjo, courtesy Museo Picasso Málaga

On View

El eco de Picasso

Through March 31, 2024
Museo Picasso Málaga, Spain
museopicassomalaga.org

Organized as part of Picasso Celebration 1973–2023, a series of international exhibitions and events commemorating the fiftieth anniversary of Pablo Picasso’s death, The Echo of Picasso focuses on his influence on twentieth-century art. The exhibition places Picasso’s practice in dialogue with work by more than fifty artists, including Francis Bacon, Georg Baselitz, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Willem de Kooning, Thomas Houseago, Ewa Juszkiewicz, Richard Prince, Nathaniel Mary Quinn, Cy Twombly, Tom Wesselmann, and Franz West.

Installation view, El eco de Picasso, Museo Picasso Málaga, Spain, October 2, 2023–March 31, 2024. Artwork, left to right: © Rebecca Warren, © Richard Prince. Photo: Pablo Asenjo, courtesy Museo Picasso Málaga

Jeff Wall, A Sudden Gust of Wind (after Hokusai), 1993, Tate Modern, London © Jeff Wall

On View

Capturing the Moment

Through April 28, 2024
Tate Modern, London
www.tate.org.uk

Capturing the Moment explores the relationship between photography and painting through iconic artworks from the modern era. The exhibition examines how the two distinct mediums have shaped each other and how artists have blurred the boundaries to capture moments in time. Work by Francis Bacon, Georg Baselitz, John Currin, Andreas Gursky, Pablo Picasso, Jeff Wall, and Andy Warhol is included.

Jeff Wall, A Sudden Gust of Wind (after Hokusai), 1993, Tate Modern, London © Jeff Wall

Franz West, Paravents, 2010, Museum für Moderne Kunst, Frankfurt am Main, Germany © Archiv Franz West, © Estate Franz West. Photo: Wolfgang Günzel

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Paraventi
Folding Screens from the 17th to 21st Centuries

October 26, 2023–February 22, 2024
Fondazione Prada, Milan
www.fondazioneprada.org

This exhibition investigates the histories and semantics of folding screens by tracing trajectories of cross-pollination between the East and the West, processes of hybridization between different art forms and functions, collaborations between designers and artists, and the emergence of new works. Paraventi presents more than seventy folding screens as well as a selection of contemporary projects, commissioned specifically for this show, by more than fifteen international artists. Work by Francis Bacon, Man Ray, Pablo PicassoJean Prouvé, Ed RuschaCy Twombly, and Franz West is included.

Franz West, Paravents, 2010, Museum für Moderne Kunst, Frankfurt am Main, Germany © Archiv Franz West, © Estate Franz West. Photo: Wolfgang Günzel

Albert Oehlen, Untitled, 1990 © Albert Oehlen

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Beautiful, Vivid, Self-contained

April 21–July 21, 2023
Hill Art Foundation, New York
hillartfoundation.org

Beautiful, Vivid, Self-contained is an exhibition curated by David Salle that brings together paintings and sculptures by artists working across different eras, mediums, and geographies to explore the notion of affinity between works of art. Alongside a painting by Salle from 1988, work by Francis Bacon, Willem de Kooning, Mark Grotjahn, Brice Marden, Albert Oehlen, Pablo Picasso, Cy Twombly, and Christopher Wool is included.

Albert Oehlen, Untitled, 1990 © Albert Oehlen

Installation view, Jubiläumsausstellung—Special Guest Duane Hanson, Fondation Beyeler, Riehen/Basel, Switzerland, October 30, 2022–January 8, 2023. Artwork, front to back: © 2022 Estate of Duane Hanson/Licensed by VAGA at Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York; © Estate of Roy Lichtenstein

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Jubiläumsausstellung—Special Guest Duane Hanson

October 30, 2022–January 8, 2023
Fondation Beyeler, Riehen/Basel
www.fondationbeyeler.ch

This exhibition, whose title translates to Anniversary Exhibition—Special Guest Duane Hanson, features more than one hundred works from the foundation’s collection, from modern to contemporary art, to celebrate the twenty-fifth anniversary of the institution. Several hyperrealist sculptures by Duane Hanson enrich the presentation, opening up surprising perspectives on the exhibited artworks, architecture, staff, and visitors. Work by Francis Bacon, Georg Baselitz, Alberto Giacometti, Anselm Kiefer, Roy Lichtenstein, Pablo Picasso, Andy Warhol, and Rachel Whiteread is included.

Installation view, Jubiläumsausstellung—Special Guest Duane Hanson, Fondation Beyeler, Riehen/Basel, Switzerland, October 30, 2022–January 8, 2023. Artwork, front to back: © 2022 Estate of Duane Hanson/Licensed by VAGA at Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York; © Estate of Roy Lichtenstein

Francis Bacon, Study for a Portrait, 1967, installation view, Seattle Art Museum © The Estate of Francis Bacon. Photo: Jueqian Fang

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Frisson
The Richard E. Lang and Jane Lang Davis Collection

October 15, 2021–November 27, 2022
Seattle Art Museum
www.seattleartmuseum.org

This exhibition celebrates the Friday Foundation’s gift of nineteen artworks from the Lang Collection to the Seattle Art Museum in honor of Seattle collectors Richard E. Lang and Jane Lang Davis. Dating from 1945 to 1976, the paintings, drawings, and sculptures in Frisson represent mature works and pivotal moments of artistic development from some of the most influential American and European artists of the postwar period. Work by Francis Bacon, Willem de Kooning, Helen Frankenthaler, and Alberto Giacometti is included.  

Francis Bacon, Study for a Portrait, 1967, installation view, Seattle Art Museum © The Estate of Francis Bacon. Photo: Jueqian Fang

Installation view, Francis Bacon: Man and Beast, Royal Academy of Arts, London, January 29–April 17, 2022. Artwork © The Estate of Francis Bacon. All rights reserved. DACS 2022. Photo: © Royal Academy of Arts, London/David Parry

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Francis Bacon
Man and Beast

January 29–April 17, 2022
Royal Academy of Arts, London
www.royalacademy.org.uk

In Francis Bacon’s visceral paintings the boundary between human and animal is constantly blurred, reminding us that our primal instincts lie just below the surface. Focusing on the artist’s fascination with animals, the exhibition explores how this interest both shaped his approach to the human body and distorted it; how, caught at the most extreme moments of existence, his figures are barely recognizable as either human or beast. Spanning Bacon’s fifty-year career, highlights include some of his earliest works and his last-ever painting, presented in the exhibition alongside a trio of bullfight paintings that will be shown together for the first time. These raw expressions of anxiety and instinct—both animal and human—feel poignantly relevant today.

Installation view, Francis Bacon: Man and Beast, Royal Academy of Arts, London, January 29–April 17, 2022. Artwork © The Estate of Francis Bacon. All rights reserved. DACS 2022. Photo: © Royal Academy of Arts, London/David Parry

Installation view, Au rendez-vous des amis: Modernism in Dialogue with Contemporary Art from the Sammlung Goetz, Part 2, Pinakothek der Moderne, Munich, August 8, 2021–January 16, 2022. Artwork, left to right: © Stand Douglas, © Tatiana Trouvé, © Egon Schiele. Photo: Bayerische Staatsgemäldesammlungen, Haydar Koyupinar

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Au rendez-vous des amis
Modernism in Dialogue with Contemporary Art from the Sammlung Goetz, Part 2

August 6, 2021–January 16, 2022
Pinakothek der Moderne, Munich
www.pinakothek-der-moderne.de

This exhibition, which includes more than two hundred works, presents works from the Sammlung Goetz in the Pinakothek der Moderne in order to explore the diverse relationships between classical modernism and contemporary art, examining how avant-garde artists paved the way for a more liberal treatment of color, line, and perspective, and outlined groundbreaking ideas for a new social community. Work by Francis Bacon, Henry Moore, Pablo Picasso, and Tatiana Trouvé is included.

Installation view, Au rendez-vous des amis: Modernism in Dialogue with Contemporary Art from the Sammlung Goetz, Part 2, Pinakothek der Moderne, Munich, August 8, 2021–January 16, 2022. Artwork, left to right: © Stand Douglas, © Tatiana Trouvé, © Egon Schiele. Photo: Bayerische Staatsgemäldesammlungen, Haydar Koyupinar

Ewa Juszkiewicz, Untitled (After Elisabeth Vigée Le Brun), 2020 © Ewa Juszkiewicz

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Face à Arcimboldo

May 29–November 22, 2021
Centre Pompidou-Metz, France
www.centrepompidou-metz.fr

This exhibition, whose title translates to Arcimboldo Face to Face, invites visitors to explore the timeless vocabulary of the sixteenth-century painter Giuseppe Arcimboldo (c. 1527–1593). The show demonstrates how his work has influenced art history for more than four centuries through the work of 130 artists, including work by Francis Bacon, Glenn Brown, Alex Israel, Ewa Juszkiewicz, Roy Lichtenstein, Man Ray, Pablo Picasso, Auguste Rodin, and Ed Ruscha.

Ewa Juszkiewicz, Untitled (After Elisabeth Vigée Le Brun), 2020 © Ewa Juszkiewicz

Installation view, The Human Body, Hill Art Foundation, New York, April 29–June 26, 2021. Artwork, left to right: © Jenny Saville, © Richard Prince, © Ron Mueck, Anthony van Dyck, Peter Paul Rubens. Photo: Matthew Herrmann

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The Human Body

April 29–June 26, 2021
Hill Art Foundation, New York
hillartfoundation.org

This exhibition, curated from the Hill Collection by Karel Schampers, examines the human body through figurative work from the last five hundred years. The installation spans two floors and visitors are encouraged to view the works from different levels and vantage points, creating a dialogue across diverse periods and mediums. The foundation’s collection of Renaissance bronzes  is featured alongside works by artists such as Francis Bacon, Richard Prince, Jenny Saville, Rudolf Stingel, and Andy Warhol.

Installation view, The Human Body, Hill Art Foundation, New York, April 29–June 26, 2021. Artwork, left to right: © Jenny Saville, © Richard Prince, © Ron Mueck, Anthony van Dyck, Peter Paul Rubens. Photo: Matthew Herrmann

Francis Bacon, Study for Portrait, 1981 © The Estate of Francis Bacon/All rights reserved/ADAGP, Paris/DACS, London 2020/ARS, New York 

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Francis Bacon
Late Paintings

February 23–May 25, 2020
Museum of Fine Arts, Houston
www.mfah.org

This exhibition presents more than forty paintings from Francis Bacon’s 1971 Grand Palais retrospective alongside his last works, made in 1992. The show, which traveled from the Centre Pompidou in Paris, aims to explore the unprecedented influence of literature on his work. Significant new loans have been added to the Houston presentation.

Francis Bacon, Study for Portrait, 1981 © The Estate of Francis Bacon/All rights reserved/ADAGP, Paris/DACS, London 2020/ARS, New York 

See all Museum Exhibitions for Francis Bacon