R. Chiappini - Francis Bacon - 2007

Francis Bacon
Curated by Rudy Chiappini

Milan, Royal Palace
March 5 – June 29, 2008

The volume "Francis Bacon", curated by Rudy Chiappini and published by Skira, represents one of the most comprehensive editorial contributions for understanding the tormented universe of the Irish master. The text is born as the official catalog of the extensive retrospective hosted at the Royal Palace in Milan in 2008, an exhibition that succeeded in documenting the artist’s entire creative arc, from the early 1940s to the last canvases of the 1980s. Through Chiappini’s critical essay and the contributions of other experts, the book analyzes Bacon’s unique ability to “slice” the human soul, translating anguish, loneliness, and existential cries into a painting that is at once carnally violent and yet endowed with a rigor that is almost classical in form.

The work does not limit itself to a simple stroll through images, but offers an in-depth reading of his poetics: from the obsession with portraiture to the reinterpretation of past masters, such as Velázquez and Rembrandt, up to the influence of triptychs and photography. The full-page reproductions highlight the chromatic density and the force of Bacon’s mark, allowing the reader to grasp the details of his contorted figures and claustrophobic spaces. This catalog remains today an indispensable tool for scholars and enthusiasts, as it succeeds in conveying the complexity of a man who transformed his personal restlessness into one of the most powerful and radical artistic testimonies of the twentieth century.

The volume is presented in overall very good condition. Dust jacket with slight signs and a couple of small tears, as shown in the photo. Cover well preserved. Binding firmly attached. Inner pages clean, with no creases or stains. A copy more than good for a collection."