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Francis Bacon: Painting in a Godless World

Brief Description

This illustrated monograph is a comprehensive study of the religious dimensions of Francis Bacon’s art. The work builds on twelve years of research in the field and many of the ideas in the book have been advanced in conference papers and journal articles. These include the following conferences: ‘The a-theology of Francis Bacon’ at ASCHA (Association of Scholars of Christianity in the History of Art) at the MOBiA in February 8th 2011, ‘The Religious Hangover of Bacon’ at Denton conference on Implicit Religion at Denton Hall, Ilkley, May 8-10 2009 and ‘Remaking the body in Bacon’ at the Arnolfini, Bristol on March 19th 2009. The following journal articles were instrumental in articulating the main ideas in the book and include: ‘Painting the Pope: An analysis of Francis Bacon’s Study after Velázquez’s Pope Innocent X’ for Literature and Theology (Oxford University Press), vol. 23, no. 1, 2009, pp. 33-50 and ‘The Primal Cry of Horror: the a-theology of Francis Bacon’ in Artibus et Historiae, vol. 63, no. 32, 2011, pp. 275-284.

Research Rationale

This book marks a new and interdisciplinary approach to appreciating the work of one of the leading artists of the twentieth century. Isolated critics have examined certain features of Bacon’s religious symbols but this book is the first comprehensive consolidation of the subject of religion in Bacon’s work.

Strategies Undertaken

Setting out to account for Bacon's recurrent and sustained use of religious symbols, Rina Arya explains how the artist redeployed religious iconography to convey an experience of the human condition, specifically animalism and mortality. By placing the work within the context of post-war philosophical preoccupations with the death of God, the author provides a robust framework in which to view and interpret Bacon's complex images.