0Francis Bacon at the MetThe Met is celebrating Francis Bacon's centenary with a grand retrospective. Paul Laster highlights this controversial artist's best and most disturbing works.Updated Jul. 14, 2017 12:45PM ET / Published May. 18, 2009 6:02AM ET © 2009 The Estate of Francis Bacon / ARS, New York / DACS, London Three Studies for a Crucifixion, March 1962© 2009 The Estate of Francis Bacon / ARS, New York / DACS, London Study for a Portrait, 1953© 2009 The Estate of Francis Bacon / ARS, New York / DACS, London Blood on Pavement, 1988© 2009 The Estate of Francis Bacon / ARS, New York / DACS, London Portrait of Michel Leiris, 1976© 2009 The Estate of Francis Bacon / ARS, New York / DACS, London Portrait of Isabel Rawsthorne Standing in a Street in Soho, 1967© 2009 The Estate of Francis Bacon / ARS, New York / DACS, London Painting, 1946© 2009 The Estate of Francis Bacon / ARS, New York / DACS, London Three Studies for Figures at the Base of a Crucifixion, ca. 1944© 2009 The Estate of Francis Bacon / ARS, New York / DACS, London Study after Velazquez, 1950© 2009 The Estate of Francis Bacon / ARS, New York / DACS, London Head VI, 1949© 2009 The Estate of Francis Bacon / ARS, New York / DACS, London Paralytic Child Walking on All Fours (from Muybridge), 1961© 2009 The Estate of Francis Bacon / ARS, New York / DACS, London Study of a Baboon, 1953© 2009 The Estate of Francis Bacon / ARS, New York / DACS, London Two Studies for a Portrait of George Dyer, 1968© 2009 The Estate of Francis Bacon / ARS, New York / DACS, London Portrait of George Dyer Riding a Bicycle, 1966© 2009 The Estate of Francis Bacon / ARS, New York / DACS, London Triptych - August 1972, 1972 Triptych, 1991© 2009 The Estate of Francis Bacon / ARS, New York / DACS, London Four photobooth portraits each of Francis Bacon, George Dyer, and David Plante, taken in Aix-en- Provence, 1966–1967© 2009 The Estate of Francis Bacon / ARS, New York / DACS, London George Dyer in the Reece Mews Studio, ca. 1964© 2009 The Estate of Francis Bacon / ARS, New York / DACS, London
Three Studies for a Crucifixion, March 1962© 2009 The Estate of Francis Bacon / ARS, New York / DACS, London Study for a Portrait, 1953© 2009 The Estate of Francis Bacon / ARS, New York / DACS, London Blood on Pavement, 1988© 2009 The Estate of Francis Bacon / ARS, New York / DACS, London Portrait of Michel Leiris, 1976© 2009 The Estate of Francis Bacon / ARS, New York / DACS, London Portrait of Isabel Rawsthorne Standing in a Street in Soho, 1967© 2009 The Estate of Francis Bacon / ARS, New York / DACS, London Painting, 1946© 2009 The Estate of Francis Bacon / ARS, New York / DACS, London Three Studies for Figures at the Base of a Crucifixion, ca. 1944© 2009 The Estate of Francis Bacon / ARS, New York / DACS, London Study after Velazquez, 1950© 2009 The Estate of Francis Bacon / ARS, New York / DACS, London Head VI, 1949© 2009 The Estate of Francis Bacon / ARS, New York / DACS, London Paralytic Child Walking on All Fours (from Muybridge), 1961© 2009 The Estate of Francis Bacon / ARS, New York / DACS, London Study of a Baboon, 1953© 2009 The Estate of Francis Bacon / ARS, New York / DACS, London Two Studies for a Portrait of George Dyer, 1968© 2009 The Estate of Francis Bacon / ARS, New York / DACS, London Portrait of George Dyer Riding a Bicycle, 1966© 2009 The Estate of Francis Bacon / ARS, New York / DACS, London Triptych - August 1972, 1972 Triptych, 1991© 2009 The Estate of Francis Bacon / ARS, New York / DACS, London Four photobooth portraits each of Francis Bacon, George Dyer, and David Plante, taken in Aix-en- Provence, 1966–1967© 2009 The Estate of Francis Bacon / ARS, New York / DACS, London George Dyer in the Reece Mews Studio, ca. 1964© 2009 The Estate of Francis Bacon / ARS, New York / DACS, London