Editor Martin Harrison, following his appointment by the Estate of Francis Bacon, has devoted over a decade to the creation of this magnificent publication, the first-ever complete catalogue raisonne of the work of the great British painter. Including many previously unpublished paintings, this five-volume set allows Bacon's oeuvre to be seen and assessed in its entirety for the first time, with all works reproduced in full color. The only previous Bacon catalogue raisonne was published in 1964, gathering only 37% of Bacon's ultimate oeuvre, and featuring only 27 color reproductions. Only about half of the 584 paintings that survive are accessible to the public in exhibitions and publications; with 'Francis Bacon: Catalogue Raisonne,' the painter's entire oeuvre can be seen and assessed for the first time.
The catalogue, containing around 800 illustrations across five clothbound, hardcover volumes, includes three books comprising the study of Bacon's entire working history, which are bookended by two further volumes: the first including an introduction, chronology and an indispensible index and users' guide, and the second a catalogue of Bacon's sketches with an illustrated bibliography. Beautifully produced and printed, the five volumes of 'Francis Bacon: Catalogue Raisonne' are boxed within a handsome cloth slipcase.
Born in Ireland, and based in London for most of his career, Francis Bacon (1909-92) arrived at his signature grotesque figurative style just as the Second World War was ending, and continued to explore its possibilities up to his death in 1992.