- Paperback: 448 pages
- Publisher: Constable (11 Sep 2008)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 1845297318
- ISBN-13: 978-1845297312
- Product Dimensions: 19 x 12.8 x 3.6 cm
- Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 321,391 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- See Complete Table of Contents
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Product Description
Review
Anatomy of an Engima will surely remain a uniquely authoritative and readable account of the man who once confided, it may sound pretentious but you see I have had the most extraordinary life. --Literary Review
One of the most important and insightful writings on the artist. --Art Newspaper
One of the most important and insightful writings on the artist. --Art Newspaper
Book Description
The definitive biography of Francis Bacon, re-issued with substantial new material to co-incide with a major retrospective exhibition at Tate Britain.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
A fascinating study of the great man and his work. Peppiatt knew Bacon from the 60's onwards, thus the biography feels intimate and true to life and is successful in depicting the flamboyance, complexity and sheer charisma of this important British artist.
Bacon's father is depicted as a key figure, as well as a leitmotif of brutal masculinity in Bacon's paintings. A tyrannical, martial man, (according to Peppiatt, he has his teenage son horsewhipped by his grooms in order to `make him more of a man') he is the very antithesis of the highly intelligent, young, unconventional Bacon. This early encounter with such brutality goes some way to explaining the power and masculine energy so apparent in Bacon's paintings, as well as the sado-masochistic and destructive nature of his sexual relationships.
Peppiatt describes Bacon's influences - Picasso's biomorhic figures as well as his 'Crucifixion', the photographic images of Edweard Muybridge, Velasquez's 'Pope Innocent X', which inspired the 'Screaming Pope' series.
Bacon's days spent as `bon viveur', drinking vast quantities of alcohol at the Colony in Soho, with the cliquey, languorous dry wit of camp proprietress, Muriel Belcher is captured wonderfully ("Champagne for my real friends, real pain for my sham friends!", as Bacon once declared), as well as his slightly alarming brush with the Kray twins (who fascinated him), and his doomed relationship with his tragic muse, George Dyer.
All in all this is an immensely enjoyable read as well as providing a real insight into the artist and his work.
Bacon's father is depicted as a key figure, as well as a leitmotif of brutal masculinity in Bacon's paintings. A tyrannical, martial man, (according to Peppiatt, he has his teenage son horsewhipped by his grooms in order to `make him more of a man') he is the very antithesis of the highly intelligent, young, unconventional Bacon. This early encounter with such brutality goes some way to explaining the power and masculine energy so apparent in Bacon's paintings, as well as the sado-masochistic and destructive nature of his sexual relationships.
Peppiatt describes Bacon's influences - Picasso's biomorhic figures as well as his 'Crucifixion', the photographic images of Edweard Muybridge, Velasquez's 'Pope Innocent X', which inspired the 'Screaming Pope' series.
Bacon's days spent as `bon viveur', drinking vast quantities of alcohol at the Colony in Soho, with the cliquey, languorous dry wit of camp proprietress, Muriel Belcher is captured wonderfully ("Champagne for my real friends, real pain for my sham friends!", as Bacon once declared), as well as his slightly alarming brush with the Kray twins (who fascinated him), and his doomed relationship with his tragic muse, George Dyer.
All in all this is an immensely enjoyable read as well as providing a real insight into the artist and his work.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Francis Bacon never ceases to amaze me in this in-depth account of Bacon's frantic and chaotic life as one of Britain's best known painters and explains how & why he behaved in the eccentric way that he did. It's very revealing, right down to Bacons weakness for wearing women's stockings to his slightly sinister way he treated his partners and people around him.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
As other reviewers have noted, this book is based on personal knowledge of Bacon and the analysis of Bacon's work is written with the insight of an artist. Much better than the Farson oeuvre. Highly recommended
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
A different view of Bacon..
This is a great biography on Bacon, have no doubt. Packed with research and memories from someone who actually knew him. Read more
Published 4 months ago by Tony Scrivener
Excellent
I find the work of Bacon fascinating and was eager to learn more about his life - this is the first book I selected - based on the good reviews on here and I was most satisfied. Read more
Published 12 months ago by Fleur Pillager
An Enigma Unraveled
This "revised and updated" edition of Michael Peppiatt's
1996 biography of the painter Francis Bacon is a marvelous
read. Read more
1996 biography of the painter Francis Bacon is a marvelous
read. Read more
Published 23 months ago by The Wolf
highly entertaining and informative
Peppiatt's indepth knowledge and presentation made this book an absolute joy to read. Going farther and deeper than Farson with complete excavation of and endearment for Bacon. Read more
Published on 17 May 2000 by dasabra@aol.com
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