Francis Bacon: Anatomy of an Enigma
by Michael Peppiatt
On This Page
Description
An "amusing and thought-provoking" portrait of one of contemporary art's most challenging figures (The Independent).  Francis Bacon was one of the most powerful and enigmatic creative geniuses of the twentieth century. Immediately recognizable and unforgettable, his paintings continue to challenge interpretations and provoke controversy. Bacon was also an extraordinary personality. Generous but cruel, forthright yet manipulative, extravagant but in despair: He was the sum of his show more contradictions. This life, lived at extremes, was filled with achievement and triumph, misfortune and personal tragedy.  In his revised and updated edition, Michael Peppiatt draws from fresh material that only became available in the years since the artist's death. Most important, he includes confidential material given to him by Bacon but omitted from the first edition.  This riveting, definitive biography is derived from the hundreds of occasions Bacon and Peppiatt sat conversing, often late into the night, over thirty years, particularly focusing on Bacon's time working in Paris. We are also given insight into Bacon's intimate relationships, his artistic convictions and views on life, as well as his often acerbic comments on his contemporaries.  "Careful research and 30 years of acquaintance inform this biography." --The New York Times  "Peppiatt's real accomplishment is that he makes you feel Bacon as a living presence." --Salon Magazine  "Valuable first hand information . . . including wholly unexpected source material." --The Times (London)  show lessTags
Recommendations
Member Recommendations
Member Reviews
francis bacon was the archtype of a painter, highly talented and lived his own life his own way. he lived outside the rules of society and art. peppiatt is a fan of bacon, both the man and the artist. so am I
This guy had some issues.
Ratings
Members
- Recently Added By
Lists
Best Biographies, Autobiographies and Memoirs
464 works; 156 members
Best Biographies
216 works; 26 members
Author Information
40+ Works 442 Members
Some Editions
Series
Belongs to Publisher Series
Common Knowledge
- Canonical title*
- Francis Bacon. Anatomie d'une énigme
- Original title
- Francis Bacon. Anatomy of an enigma
- Original publication date
- 1996 (1e édition originale anglaise, Weidenfeld & Nicholson) (1e édition originale anglaise, Weidenfeld & Nicholson); 2004 (1e traduction et édition française ∙ Grandes biographies ∙ Flammarion) (1e traduction et édition française ∙ Grandes biographies ∙ Flammarion); 2019-09-04 (Réédition française ∙ Grandes biographies ∙ Flammarion) (Réédition française ∙ Grandes biographies ∙ Flammarion)
- People/Characters
- Francis Bacon, 1909-1992
- Epigraph*
- Préface à la nouvelle édition (2009)
« Il n’est pas du tout possible de prévoir tout ce qui sera encore de l’histoire. Le passé peut-être demeure encore
tout à fait inexploré. »
Fri... (show all)edrich Nietzsche, Le Gai Savoir, 1882
1.
UNE ENFANCE IRLANDAISE, 1909-1926
« Nul esprit ne peut créer tant qu’il n’est pas divisé en deux. »
William Butler Yeats - Dedication*
- A Jill, Clio et Alexander
- First words*
- Préface à la nouvelle édition (2009)
Il m’a fallu plusieurs heures après mon appel à la clinique Ruber, à Madrid, pour m’apercevoir que seize années s’étaient écoulées jour pour jour depuis le dÃ... (show all)©cès de Francis Bacon dans cet établissement. [...]
1.
UNE ENFANCE IRLANDAISE, 1909-1926
Son enfance, Francis Bacon l’évoquait rarement, mais ne la plaçait pas moins au cœur de toute sa trajectoire personnelle. « Je crois que les artistes restent ... (show all)beaucoup plus proches de leur enfance que les autres, m’a-t-il confié à plusieurs reprises. Ils sont beaucoup plus fidèles a` leurs premières sensations. [...] - Original language*
- Anglais (Australie) (Australie)
*Some information comes from Common Knowledge in other languages. Click "Edit" for more information.
Classifications
Statistics
- Members
- 168
- Popularity
- 193,920
- Reviews
- 2
- Rating
- (3.65)
- Languages
- English, French, German, Spanish
- Media
- Paper, Ebook
- ISBNs
- 18
- ASINs
- 3
