Francis Bacon. Study of Red Pope 1962. 2nd Version 1971

Paperback.  First edition.  “On 26 October 1971, the Grand Palais in Paris opened its landmark retrospective of Francis Bacon’s work. It was a career-defining moment for the artist, newly anointed ‘Britain’s greatest living painter’. Among the distinguished canvases exhibited was Study of Red Pope, 1962, 2nd version, painted earlier that year: a grand finale to his celebrated body of papal portraits. In this rare masterpiece, for the first and only time in his oeuvre, Bacon had united his two greatest obsessions: reworking the 1962 canvas Study from Innocent X, the artist staged a haunting encounter between the Pope and George Dyer — his great muse and lover.”  In-depth catalogue accompanying Christie’s sale of the painting. Condition: light edge-wear, otherwise very good.