Study after Velázquez's Portrait of Pope Innocent X (1954)

For this work of art Bacon decided to use a canvas and oil paint to share his artwork with the world.The painting is also 60 inches by 40 inches. He takes Diego Velázquez’s Portrait of Pope Innocent X and disfigures him into something completely different. He uses darker tones unlike the original artwork and makes the Pope look like a zombie that is terrified or screaming. He also seems to creat lines in this painting as if the ghost or zombie of this Pope is evaborating into thin air. I think this painting definatly fits into the category of artist reusing art that has already been around for years. I don't thing he was trying to insult the catholic religion or religion in general but he did a series on popes just to show them in a different light. According to britannica, "...His mature style emerged completely with the series of works known as “The Screaming Popes” (1949–mid-1950s), in which he converted Diego Velázquez’s famous “Portrait of Pope Innocent X” into a nightmarish icon of hysterical terror." Also according to uncovering.org "Between 1951 and 1965, he painted 45 studies, variations, reactions toward the painting by Velázquez. It is said that when he finally stopped his study, he had to do so by inflicting violence upon himself, forcing himself to stop."












cited:
http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/569972/Study-after-Velazquezs-Portrait-of-Pope-Innocent-X

http://blog.uncovering.org/en/archives/2008/11/francis_bacon_the_popes.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Study_after_Velazquez%27s_Portrait_of_Pope_Innocent_X.jpg (image)