STUDY FOR BULLFIGHT I, 1971

  • Francis Bacon, Study of a Bullfight I, 1971, colour lithograph depicting a bull and matador in motion.
    Study for Bullfight I, 1971.
    Lithograph in colours on wove paper, signed in ink. 
    ©The Estate of Francis Bacon
    Study for Bullfight I reflects Francis Bacon’s sustained interest in bullfighting, a subject that embodied the physical tension and violence central to his work. Following several trips to Spain and southern France in the 1960s, Bacon began collecting images and notes on the spectacle, drawn to its rhythm and danger. Initially planned as part of a Bullfighting Triptych, he later decided each composition should stand alone, focusing attention on the movement and structure within the arena.
     
    This lithograph, produced on a scale similar to the original oil painting, captures the controlled intensity of the scene. It highlights Bacon’s precision in depicting conflict and motion, demonstrating the clarity and discipline that defined his practice during this period.
     
    Looking to buy or sell? 
    Enquire

  • I believe in deeply ordered chaos.

     

    - Francis Bacon

    Study for Bullfight I (1971) is a colour lithograph on wove paper, signed by the artist. The work captures the charged motion between matador and bull, set against a minimal background of vivid orange. Bacon reduces the scene to pure tension and movement, distilling the violence and precision of the arena into a single, striking image.