Triptych, 1976(Triptych, 1976) is one of the masterpieces of Francis Bacon's full maturity. Divided into three large panels, it presents humanoid figures isolated in empty, claustrophobic spaces, bathed in a cold, theatrical light. In the central panel a naked, headless body is attacked by a bird of prey: an image that recalls the myth of Prometheus and the theme of eternal punishment. The side panels show contorted faces, as if trapped in their own flesh, in a state of physical and psychological suffering.
Bacon's pictorial language is violent and sharp: anatomies crumble, the paint seems to wound, identity dissolves in a struggle between survival and annihilation. After the tragic death of his partner George Dyer, the artist's personal grief is transformed into a universal enquiry: the body becomes the scene of human trauma, guilt and the inevitability of death.
Unique quality material
Print on handmade Amalfi paper Sheet size: 29 x 42 cm (11.4 x 16.5 in) With frame: 31 x 44 cm (12.2 x 17.3 in) Material: artwork printed on very fine handmade Amalfi paper with deckled edges Frame: light brown beech wood and wood pulp, handmade
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