Page 46 - Studio International - April 1967

Francis Bacon

Robert Melville

During the long period when Francis Bacon returned what they think the paintings may be about. It is evident
again and again to the compulsive task of painting a that reliance on subjective evaluations are becoming
shouting Pope, many people found it difficult to come to increasingly unsatisfactory. (The last sentence is copied
terms with the fact that he is one of the greatest painters from an article on scent which deplores the unscientific
of the twentieth century. Since then the artist himself and rather vulgar practise of sniffing the stuff to find out
has come to their aid by giving the paint a certain if it has a good commercial smell.) Critics will have to
narcissistic demonstrativeness, almost as if it were a learn not to be voyeurs. Whatever it is that sets an artist
personage in its own right, and like the bride who hogs to work, whether it be a jug or a male nude with one leg
the photograph of the happy couple, it has become, to up the wall, is entirely the artist's own affair, and I can
use an obsolete phrase, the cynosure of all eyes. foresee the time when a critic who has forgetfully des-
Some spectators who were hitherto repelled by the cribed the painting of a nude sitting on the lavatory pan
mixed emotions aroused in them by the imagery find no as a nude sitting on the lavatory pan will be hauled before
difficulty in considering the recent pictures exhibited in the Press Council for invading the artist's privacy.
Paris and London as brilliant configurations of paint, People sometimes tend to forget that it is a sign that
addressed exclusively to the aesthetic sense. With the one's in the presence of a masterpiece if a painting still
aplomb of those Victorian ladies who learnt the trick of looks absolutely right when it's upsidedown; but one has
looking at Renaissance paintings of the Virgin and Child only to think of a Mondrian, or better still one of Ad
without seeing the child's penis, we shall soon be able to Reinhardt's all-black panels, to realise that it's the surest
ignore the imagery altogether. These paint-strokes, more of tests. It is to be hoped that it will not be necessary for
active than anything in action painting, are as marvel- gallery directors in difficult areas to hang their Bacons
lously certain of themselves as the paint-strokes with upsidedown to prove that they are masterpieces, but it's
which Rembrandt investigated his own ageing face, and quite certain they would survive the test and probably
there are summary flourishes at the edges of some of the reveal unsuspected felicities. This certainly seemed to be
portraits—such as the heavenly blue swirls on the jacket the case when I looked the wrong way up at a colour
in the portrait of Isobel Rawsthorne purchased for the reproduction of the nude sitting on a lavatory pan.
Tate collection—which demonstrate a virtuosity as dazz- Released from its utilitarian situation under the bottom
ling as John Singer Sargent's used to be. Any dislocation of the nude, the lavatory pan became scarcely less
of the features in these portraits must be attributed to mysterious than the urinal which hung from a string in
the artist's realization that the malleability of flesh is Duchamp's exhibition at the TATE GALLERY. The grey
Nature's supreme gift to human pleasure. It will be seen shape which, when the picture is right way up, appears
that under the activity of the brush-strokes the faces to be either a shadow cast by the figure or a spreading
retain the impassivity of the posing model, and ensure pool of liquid from a leak in the pan, became the phan-
the slaps and slashes and the expert bruising with all the tom of an unknown creature, and the pan itself took on
submissiveness of a multitude of Christs at the mercy of a something of the appearance of a floppy blue and white
single tormentor. As well they might. The circle of beret, and one could appreciate it more acutely as a
friends who pose for him and are identified in his titles creative form because one was not disturbed by its
are assured of a kind of immortality. excremental associations.
It cannot be doubted that the exhibition at MARL- I do not know whether the artist himself is aware of the
BOROUGH FINE ART* marks a crucial stage in his career change in his status but the extracts from interviews
and that it will have far-reaching effects upon the critical recorded by David Sylvester which appear in the Marl-
assessment of his work and his international standing. He borough catalogue seem to register a change in his
is being rapidly transformed into an Establishment verbal reflections which would be consistent with such an
figure, and it seems likely that gallery directors who have awareness. He is smilingly dismissive of a number of the
so far been prevented from acquiring a Bacon by com- earlier works on which some of us expended unlimited
mittees which have not encountered the pictures in praise. But I for one make no apologies if I hailed him
which the paint presents a strong counter-attraction to as a great painter before he actually became one. I have
the imagery will now be given the green light. With so never pretended that my praise was judicious. His work
much beautiful paint to be admired, it will be taken for represented an attitude to painting and to life which I
granted that responsible critics will not in future refer to found wholly admirable. It claimed my allegiance. He