Archival materials shed light on radical exhibition
FB55 will include rare installation photographs of the 1955 exhibition, press reviews, publications, invitation cards and other rarely seen documents from the ICA’s archive.
The original exhibition was organised with the help of wealthy arts patron and Francis Bacon supporter, Peter Watson and took place in the ICA’s former premises on Dover Street. It followed Francis Bacon's representation of Britain at the Venice Biennale the previous year, alongside artists Reg Butler, Lucian Freud and Ben Nicholson.
FB55 illuminates the radical nature of the exhibition which – at a time when homosexuality was outlawed in Britain - took great risks in showing Two Figures in the Grass, 1954 (pictured below), which depicts two naked men engaged in an intimate act.
The presentation of this painting alongside others containing imagery relating to the Catholic state - such as Figure with Meat, 1954 - would have certainly been deemed controversial at the time.
Francis Bacon and the Independent Group
FB55 also highlights the relationship between Bacon and the Independent Group of artists associated with the ICA. The Independent Group, which included Richard Hamilton and Eduardo Paolozzi, are known for their role in paving the way for Pop Art through their appropriation of imagery from popular culture.
Though Bacon distanced himself from the group - referring to them as 'mixed-media jackdaws' - his use of photographs as a basis for his paintings is thought to have had a deep influence on them. One leading critic of the day, Lawrence Alloway, even argued that Pop Art began with Francis Bacon, rather than Richard Hamilton, who is widely acknowledged as the founder of the movement.
FB55 opens on 24 March until 17 May 2015. Find out more.
Browse related images
Over 400 Francis Bacon images are available on Artimage. In addition to high resolution images of his paintings, you can also find rare photographs from Francis Bacon’s archive. These include John Deakin's photographs of Francis Bacon and his circle of friends, a number of which were commissioned by Bacon to use as a basis for his paintings.
All image uses are approved by the Francis Bacon Estate and our fees are paid back to them, supporting their work.
Browse a selection of related images below or search all Francis Bacon images here.
Two Figures in the Grass, 1954:
Figure with Meat, 1954:
Figures in a Garden, c. 1936:
Three Studies of the Human Head, 1953:
Francis Bacon in Raincoat, c.1967, by John Deakin:
Peter Lacy, with whom Francis Bacon had a tempestuous relationship until Lacy's death in 1962. Photograph taken in 1954 by Francis Bacon:
Lucian Freud on Bed, c. 1964, by John Deakin:
Francis Bacon with his longstanding partner George Dyer, photographed in Soho, 1966, by John Deakin:
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Image credits from top: Private view card (front and inside) for Francis Bacon, ICA, 1955, Photo: Mark Blower, Image courtesy of the ICA; Two Figures in the Grass, 1954, Francis Bacon © The Estate of Francis Bacon, All rights reserved, DACS 2015, Photo: Prudence Cuming Associates Ltd; Figure with Meat, 1954, Francis Bacon © The Estate of Francis Bacon, All rights reserved, DACS 2015, Photo: Prudence Cuming Associates Ltd; Figures in a Garden, c. 1936, Francis Bacon © The Estate of Francis Bacon, All rights reserved, DACS 2015, Photo: Prudence Cuming Associates Ltd; Three Studies of the Human Head 1953, Francis Bacon © The Estate of Francis Bacon, All rights reserved, DACS 2015, Photo: Prudence Cuming Associates Ltd;Francis Bacon in Raincoat, c. 1967, John Deakin © The Estate of Francis Bacon, All rights reserved, DACS, 2015, Photo: John Deakin; Photograph of Peter Lacy (possibly at Ostia, Italy), 1954, Francis Bacon © The Estate of Francis Bacon, All rights reserved, DACS 2015; Lucian Freud on Bed, c. 1964, John Deakin © The Estate of Francis Bacon, All rights reserved, DACS, 2015, Photo: John Deakin; George Dyer and Francis Bacon in Soho, 1966, John Deakin © The Estate of Francis Bacon. All rights reserved, DACS, 2015, Photo: John Deakin.