Francis Bacon's final Pope painting comes to light after 45 years ~ Sportty

Francis Bacon's final Pope painting comes to light after 45 years

Francis Bacon - Study of Red Pope 1962, 2nd Version 1971

A Francis Bacon painting valued at £60m is to be seen in public for the first time for 45 years when it goes under the hammer next month.

His Study of Red Pope 1962, 2nd Version 1971 was the last in the artist's famous series of papal portraits.

It was exhibited in Paris in 1971, six months after it was painted, and then in Dusseldorf the following year.

It has been in the hands of a private European collector since 1973 but will be auctioned by Christie's in October.

For the painting, Bacon revisited Study of Red Pope 1962, which was itself inspired by Diego Velázquez's 1650 masterpiece Portrait of Pope Innocent X.

For the revised version, Bacon added another figure - a reflection of the artist's partner George Dyer.

Sportty