1951
(British, 1909–1992)
Framed: 86 x 77 x 6 cm (33 7/8 x 30 5/16 x 2 3/8 in.); Unframed: 62.9 x 53.3 cm (24 3/4 x 21 in.)
© Estate of Francis Bacon / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York / DACS, London
Location: not on view
This artwork is known to be under copyright.

Download, Print and Share

Description

Born in Dublin, Ireland, Bacon developed his signature motif of screaming heads trapped in glass or metal cages while working in London in the late 1940s and early ‘50s. The exploration of extreme states of emotion in these inwardly tortured figures reflects the influence of Surrealism. Bacon certainly knew Salvador Dalí‘s The Dream, a featured painting in the London International Surrealist Exhibition of 1936, and now displayed in this gallery. Bacon‘s isolated heads have strong affinities with the caged figures in the paintings and sculptures of his close friend, Alberto Giacometti.
Head

Head

1951

Francis Bacon

(British, 1909–1992)
England, 20th century

Visually Similar by AI

Contact us

The information about this object, including provenance, may not be currently accurate. If you notice a mistake or have additional information about this object, please email collectionsdata@clevelandart.org.

To request more information about this object, study images, or bibliography, contact the Ingalls Library Reference Desk.

All images and data available through Open Access can be downloaded for free. For images not available through Open Access, a detail image, or any image with a color bar, request a digital file from Image Services.