Triptych Inspired by the Oresteia of Aeschylus, from 1981, is one of Francis Bacon's most intense and narrative works. The artist draws on the tragic trilogy of the Greek playwright Aeschylus, which tells of the spiral of revenge and death that strikes the house of Atreus. In the three panels of the triptych, Bacon does not directly illustrate the episodes of the myth, but visually reworks its principal emotions and tensions: violence, guilt, inescapable fate. Distorted figures, often isolated in sombre geometric rooms, embody a universal dimension of human suffering.
The dominant red recalls the blood and brutality of the events narrated, while zoomorphic or hybrid elements suggest the presence of Fate and the Furies, symbols of punishment. The work reveals Bacon's deep affinity with ancient tragedy, both being investigations into the dark drives of humanity and the conflict between freedom and condemnation.
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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