Bacon

The introduction from the Tate's brochure explains Francis Bacon much better than I could, so I reproduce it here, (click on the picture to read in larger font). The two lower pictures were in the exhibition. The first was based on Valazquez's portrait of Pope Innocent X (Head VI 1949), and he made a number of studies.

The second (triptych) is conveniently entitled Second Triptych 1944, painted in 1988.

A photograph of Bacon's studio is also reproduced from the Tate brochure, the state of which shouldn't surprise. It was a fascinating expose, and I learned a great deal from it, and enjoyed the experience. As I've said about other art, these are enjoyable to view in a gallery, but not something that I would hang on my own walls; there are other, less startling ways of waking up during the day.

There's also the very minor consideration of what used to be termed money, a commodity most of us have less of than we did twelve months ago.

But as we're learning, Art is the new investment of choice: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/arts/main.jhtml?xml=/arts/2008/10/21/basales121.xml