Francis Bacon: Revelations

(Paperback)

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The Times Art Book of the Year 2021

FINALIST FOR THE PLUTARCH AWARD 2022

Must surely be the definitive life of Francis Bacon A biography that no Bacon fan or indeed foe can afford to overlook Mesmerising THE TIMES

A magnificent triumph I was captivated by every line OBSERVER
A decade in the making, based upon hundreds of interviews and extensive new material, Pulitzer Prize winners Mark Stevens and Annalyn Swan have written a startlingly original portrait rich, complex, and subtle of a commanding modern figure.

Bacon concealed many important aspects of his life. He described himself as an asthmatic child in Ireland with foxhunting parents and a tyrannical father, but he was also rescued by a series of formidable women women who in this biography emerge in their own right. He was never just a dissolute young man but was also a passionate reader, largely self-taught. Early on, influenced by Eileen Gray, he became a hard-working and ambitious designer, a brief career explored here in detail for the first time. He dreamed of remaking the modern room.

Bacon worked no less hard or ambitiously as a painter, at first with little success. Throughout the 1930s and early 40s he suffered ongoing failures, growing isolated and often ill. His health issues throughout his life were far more significant than he revealed. Then came his astonishing breakthrough in 1944, with Three Studies for Figures at the Base of a Crucifixion. In the following decades, he emerged as one of the great iconoclasts and bon vivants of his time, a Wildean figure whom one friend called a terrific grandee. Bacon was typically celebrated as a sexual adventurer who liked rough trade, but he never stopped longing for a serious committed relationship, however painful. He continued to make disturbing images of the strangeness within, but developed into a more varied artist than has been recognised, creating in particular an extraordinary series of self-portraits. He was an artist who believed in chance and paradox: the iconoclast eventually became an icon.

This is a story, deeply researched and masterfully told, of a sickly boy who became one of the great figures of his time. The twentieth century does not know itself without Bacon.

Reviews

Picked as a book to look out for in 2021 by THE GUARDIAN, THE TIMES, THE SUNDAY TIMES, THE FINANCIAL TIMES AND THE OBSERVER

The Times Art Book of the Year 2021

A WATERSTONES BEST BIOGRAPHY OF 2021

SHORTLISTED FOR THE 2021 APOLLO BOOK OF THE YEAR

FINALIST FOR THE PLUTARCH AWARD 2022

A spectacularly good biography which I adored
Max Porter, R4 Front Row

Meticulously researched and compelling
Guardian

Must surely be the definitive life of Francis Bacon A biography that no Bacon fan or indeed foe can afford to overlook Presents a mesmerising portrait of a performer commanding the stage of the 20th century
The Times

A captivating triumph [A] magnificent new life of the artist It rings as clearly as a bell Its fascinating (and startling)
Rachel Cooke, Observer

The definitive biography an incomparable resource for art historians, dealers, curators and collectors
Financial Times

There are not many biographical masterpieces, but Mark Stevens and Annalyn Swan have produced
one it is an utterly thrilling read
Irish Times, John Banville

A weighty, thorough and compelling biography of the artist that records nine decades of intense moments This authorised life brings the carousing, the paintings and the public and private lives together to form a convincing and often touching whole Resonant
Sunday Times

Compelling From his early failures to the untimely death of two of his lovers, the life of the Dublin-born artist is laid bare in this absorbing read Stylish and well-researched biography A cracking read from start to finish
Irish Independent

Authoritative and fascinating full of human interest and fascinating detail [The] seamlessly written double act is a magnificent, monumental achievement
Sunday Independent

Author Bio

Mark Stevens is President of Mark Stevens & Company Inc. His company provides high level marketing strategies and develops marketing communication tools for such industry leaders as American Express, Smith Barney, Charles Schwab and IBM. His business column is nationally syndicated in the US and he has appeared frequently on television there, including Louis Rukeysers Business, CNN Business Report and CNBC. He lives in Beford, New York.