An Exploration into the Themes of Nihilism and Existentialism in Francis Bacon’s Life and Work
Student Name: Kate Lohoar
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DJ41002 - Design Enterprise 2
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DJ40002 - Critical Studies: Dissertation (Fine Art)
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I am familiar with the University of Dundee’s Regulations Governing Plagiarism and Academic Dishonesty and understand that these are unacceptable forms of cheating which come with severe penalties. The dissertation that I am submitting for my BA/BDES/BSc Honours Degree is not plagiarised nor does it engage in any other form of academic dishonesty. I have been rigorous in my use of references and have provided a full bibliography and / or list of sources including those quoted and those which formed part of background reading.
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Date: 07/01/2025
An Exploration into the Themes of Nihilism and Existentialism in Francis Bacon’s Life and Work
Fine Art (Hons)
Word Count:
A dissertation submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements of a Bachelor of Art (Hons) degree in Fine Art.
Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art and Design
University of Dundee 2025
Abstract
This dissertation investigates the philosophical underpinnings of Francis Bacon’s art, focusing on his exploration of nihilism and existentialism. As one of the most enigmatic and provocative figures in post-war art, Bacon’s work reflects a rejection of traditional religious and moral values, emphasizing the inherent meaninglessness of existence. By analysing key paintings such as Study After Portrait of Pope Innocent X (1953), Two Figures (1953), and Three Studies for a Self-Portrait (1973), this essay aims to argues that Bacon's approach to figurative art is deeply influenced by nihilistic and existentialist philosophies. The study also incorporates Gilles Deleuze’s theory of sensation, which provides insight into Bacon’s unique artistic techniques and his exploration of perception, emotion, and the human condition. Through a visual analysis of selected works, this text demonstrates how Bacon’s unsettling imagery and use of abstraction reflect his philosophical concerns with the absence of meaning, identity, and the absurdity of life. By delving into Bacon’s engagement with these philosophical ideologies, this research illuminates how his paintings grapple with existential questions and serve as a visceral response to the complexities of existence. Ultimately, the dissertation presents Bacon’s art as a profound, visual meditation on the human experience in a world devoid of inherent purpose.
Bibliography
List of Illustrations Figures
INTRODUCTION
This essay explores the complex relationship between philosophy and art through an indepth analysis of the work of British painter Francis Bacon (1909-1992). Recognized for his raw, visceral portrayals of the human condition, Bacon’s art often delves into themes of suffering, mortality, and existential despair. These thematic concerns reflect the philosophical ideas of nihilism and existentialism, two ideologies that question the very fabric of human existence and purpose. Nihilism, as articulated by philosophers such as Friedrich Nietzsche and Keiji Nishitani, rejects the idea of inherent meaning in the universe, asserting that life possesses no intrinsic value. Existentialism, championed by thinkers like Jean-Paul Sartre, similarly challenges notions of a predetermined essence, positing that individuals must forge their own meaning in an otherwise indifferent world.
Bacon’s art provides a profound reflection of these philosophical perspectives, particularly in his unsettling depictions of the human form, which often evoke a sense of alienation, isolation, and despair. I will examine how Bacon’s works, including Study After Velàzquez’ Portrait of Pope Innocent X (1953), Two Figures (1953), and Three Studies for a Self-Portrait (1973), are deeply influenced by both nihilistic and existentialist thought, as well as by the theories of sensation proposed by philosopher Gilles Deleuze. Through a close visual analysis of selected pieces, the dissertation will demonstrate how Bacon’s exploration of human existence and suffering embodies key philosophical concepts, offering a rich and nuanced understanding of his artistic vision. In doing so, this study will argue that Bacon’s oeuvre not only challenges traditional artistic norms but also engages with profound existential questions about the meaning (or lack thereof) of human life.
An Introduction to Nihilism and Existentialism
For my dissertation, I will apply the teachings of Nihilism and Existentialism to the artist Francis Bacon (1909-1992) and report how these theories are demonstrated in his artworks. Nihilism is a philosophical way of thinking that completely rejects any sort of inherent meaning or purpose in the universe. Nihilism asserts that human existence lacks intrinsic value, consequently calling into question the human craving for purpose. To understand this philosophy, I looked at the books, Nihilism and Philosophy: Nothingness, Truth and World by Gideon Baker (2018) and Nietzsche, Nihilism and Meaning by Lawrence J. Hatab (1987). Baker outlines the philosophy, describing the human experience as “arbitrary” (Baker, 2018, p. 47). Nihilism opposes traditional beliefs that often stem from religion, but rather, focuses on the subjective and contingent nature of concepts like morality, knowledge, and the human condition. Going against traditional religious ideas that we as humans are all born with a predetermined purpose given to us by God, Nihilists believe that we are not born with a purpose or a certain path we must follow. Rather, Nihilism asserts that individuals must create their own meanings and self- discover through their actions, accepting the resulting consequences. Hatab elaborates this idea by stating, “The world itself possess no value, human existence is ultimately meaningless, and knowledge claims are without foundation” (Hatab, 1987, p. 91) This perspective raises challenges for morality and ethics, as completely dismissing the idea of inherent purpose can lead to a chaotic or even manic outlook, forcing individuals to rely solely on themselves without the guidance of any religious, philosophical, moral, or cultural framework, which runs contrary to trends of behaviour over the course of human history.
To broaden my understanding, I explore Nihilism’s connection to existentialism, another philosophy that question's purpose and identity. Both philosophies share a certain scepticism towards intrinsic meaning and purpose. Existentialism by definition from the Oxford Dictionary is a “philosophical theory or approach which emphasises the existence of the individual person as a free and responsible agent determining their own development through acts of the will.” (Oxford Reference, 2024) For my research, I watched a YouTube video by "Crash Course". Like Nihilism, Existentialism challenges the belief in a predetermined “essence” or purpose given to us at birth. Two ancient philosophers, Plato (424-348 BC) and Aristotle (384 – 322 BC) concluded that everything has an essence, a group of core properties that are necessary or essential for something to be what it is, without those key properties, that thing would be something different. Plato and Aristotle believed that our essence is given to us before we are born. This belief is called Essentialism and has been the most standard view up until the late 19th Century after the repercussions of war. By the mid 20th Century as a result of the horrific events of World War II, Existentialism was introduced by Jean-Paul Satre (19051980), and he proposed the idea that existence precedes essence. He believed that we are not born with a God-given essence, but that we are born first, and it is up to us during our lifetimes to discover our own individual purposes, rather than the stereotypes and labels society gives us.
Given this perspective, it is easy to understand why Nihilism and Existentialism are sometimes associated with destructive or irrational behaviours, and even thoughts of suicide. The absence of inherent meaning can lead to feelings of existential dread, angst, and alienation. This inner conflict is something many philosophers have explored in depth. For instance, philosopher Keiji Nishitani reflects on the double effect Nihilism has on a person, claiming that while some individuals experience “severe torment”, others can find a “strong feeling of liberation” (Hatab, 1987, p. 77). This quote resonated with me, as I began to view Nihilism as presenting two possible paths: one leading to existential despair as one struggles to find purpose and questions their place in the world, and the other leading to a kind of breakthrough, an experience of freedom as one accepts that they are not born with a predetermined purpose, leaving them free to find and pursue their own. Nishitani also describes Nihilism as “first of all a problem of the
self” (Hatab, 1987, p.1). I believe this captures the inner conflict of Nihilism, where one may fluctuate between these two paths. For my dissertation, this “problem of the self” concept will be valuable in interpreting Nihilism from the perspective of Francis Bacon’s grotesque and disturbing figurative artwork, as he engages with the polarising forces of hope and despair.
In Nihilism and Philosophy: Nothingness, Truth and World by Gideon Baker, Baker explores Nihilism from Friedrich Nietzsche’s (1844–1900) perspective, one of its most influential thinkers. Nietzsche puts forward that Nihilism’s outcome “the death of God” is a gateway to what he calls "the great liberation" (Baker, 2018, p. 1). Here again, the notion of liberation emerges. My understanding is that Nihilism offers the potential for a sense of freedom: the freedom to choose one’s own path, unburdened by external expectations of how one should live. Jean-Paul Sartre (1905–1980), a prominent figure in Existentialism, expanded on the concept of freedom, emphasising that individuals must fully accept the responsibilities that come with free will and take full responsibility of the consequences that follow. As previously mentioned, Nihilism posits that there is no inherent meaning in the world, and it is the individual's responsibility to define their own fate. In this context, Jean-Paul Sartre developed the concept of bad faith. For Sartre, "bad faith is an objectively bad thing, and authenticity is an objectively good thing" (Webber, 2008, p. 132). Bad faith refers to the act of deceiving oneself into believing that one lacks the ability or freedom to make personal choices, typically driven by the fear of the consequences. Sartre argued that the most positive course of action for an individual is to live as authentically as possible, free from external influence.
In exploring Sartre’s theory of individual responsibility, Gary E. Jones elaborates on the existential concepts of being-in-itself and being-for-itself, quoting Sartre:
“[Man] carries the weight of the whole world on his shoulders; he is responsible for the world and for himself as a way of being. We are taking the word 'responsibility' in its ordinary sense as ‘consciousness [of] being the incontestable author of an event or object.’” (Jones, 1980, p. 234)
Jones further clarifies that Sartre’s theory of responsibility is grounded in his existential ontology, which distinguishes between two types of being: being-in-itself and being-foritself. Being-in-itself refers to the non- conscious world at large, while being-for-itself pertains to human consciousness (Jones, 1980, p. 234).
For my dissertation, I will apply these thoughts and philosophies to the artist Francis Bacon, a 20th Century artist who challenged the traditional trajectory of figurative portraiture through graphic mark making, deranged compositions and who’s style was described as “horrific” (Sylvester, 1966, 1:48) by David Sylvester in an interview in 1966.
The Damaged Youth of Francis Bacon
The oeuvre of Francis Bacon remains a seminal force in 20th- century art. From a young age, Bacon faced considerable challenges, including severe asthma that hindered his ability to receive a formal education, leading to private tutoring at home. As one of five siblings, Bacon often felt like an outsider, a sense of isolation that complicated his attempts to form meaningful friendships and heightened his feelings of alienation. This sense of displacement was further exacerbated by the frequent relocations of his family between Ireland and England, caused by the disruptions of World War I and his father’s professional commitments. In Francis Bacon: Human Presence, Rosie Broadley recounts Bacon's statement: “I grew up in an atmosphere of threat for a long time” (Broadley, 2024, p. 13), reflecting how this rootlessness fostered a lasting sense of separation from the world, a sentiment that permeated both his life and his art.
Bacon’s laboured relationship with his father, Edward Bacon, also played a pivotal role in shaping his personal identity and artistic direction. Edward Bacon, a former army major of aristocratic descent, held conservative and authoritarian views which were at odds with his son’s unconventional nature. Bacon’s acute asthma prevented him from participating in family activities, for instance his father’s favoured sport of horse riding. According to Rosie Broadley, “Bacon’s growing awareness of his homosexuality compounded his sense of isolation and confused his already strained relationship with his domineering father” (Broadley, 2024 p. 13). Bacon himself later remarked, “He didn’t
love me, and I didn’t love him either... It was very ambiguous though, because I was sexually attracted to him. At the time, I didn't know how to explain my feelings.”
(Broadley, 2024 p. 13), emphasizing the emotional distance and discord that defined their relationship.
photograph of Francis Bacon in drag taken by John Deakin, 1945
Amid the challenges and adversity of Bacon’s early life, there was one individual who provided support and understanding Jessie Lightfoot. Known to Bacon as “Nanny Lightfoot,” she became a maternal figure who played a crucial role in helping him navigate his self-identity and sexuality. Lightfoot was the only person who truly accepted and appreciated Bacon for who he was and who he aspired to be. Their relationship offered Bacon a rare source of solace, and they often engaged in shared moments of self- expression, including dressing up together. One notable occasion was a fancy- dress party in Suffolk, where Bacon dressed as a ‘flapper,’ fully embracing the flamboyant spirit of the 1920s subculture. He wore a decorative dress, makeup, heels, and a long cigarette holder, expressing a bold, nonconformist identity. Given his father’s traditional and homophobic views, this act of self- expression further deepened the emotional and ideological rift between Bacon and his family. In his later years, Bacon often avoided discussing his father in detail, but the influence of that relationship
remained a significant part of his life and work. The rejection he faced from his father, along with the societal challenges of being a young gay man, played a key role in shaping his identity and contributed to the intense emotional depth that is so evident in his paintings.
In addition to Francis Bacon's struggles with self-acceptance, isolation, and identity, he also faced significant personal losses throughout his life, including the deaths of his father and mother, the passing of his close friend John Edwards (1949–1980), and the sudden death of his long-term companion, George Dyer (1933-1971). In the foreword to Francis Bacon: Human Presence, Nicholas Cullinan cites an interview with David Sylvester in which Bacon reflects on the impact of these losses: “People have been dying around me like flies and I’ve had nobody else to paint but myself” (Cullinan, 2024, p. 11). This rather callus statement betrays a profound emotional toll that these experiences had on Bacon, ultimately leading him to turn inward and focus on selfportraiture. Given this context, it becomes evident that such pervasive loss contributed to Bacon's deeply pessimistic views on life and death, which in turn significantly influenced the evolution of his nihilist artistic vision and his portrayal of human suffering and mortality.
At just 17 years old, Francis Bacon was expelled from his family home following a humiliating encounter with his father. While this moment must have been incredibly painful for Bacon at the time, it ultimately marked the beginning of his career as a painter. His artistic journey took shape in the late 1920s when he moved into a small apartment in South Kensington, London, and worked as an interior designer. With a stable income, Bacon briefly relocated to France, where he had the chance to attend exhibitions and develop an interest in art. In a 1987 interview with David Sylvester, Bacon reflected on a pivotal moment in Paris in 1927, when he saw a Picasso exhibition at the Paul Rosenberg Gallery, which ignited his passion for painting: “... it was about that time, at Rosenberg’s, I saw an exhibition of Picasso. And I think at that moment I thought, well, I will try and paint too” (Bacon, 23:47-23:59).
Les Demoiselles d’Avignon
Several elements of Picasso’s work can be traced in Bacon’s own figurative paintings. Picasso's iconic Les Demoiselles d'Avignon (1907) marked a radical shift in the portrayal of the human figure and helped redefine modern art. The crude, almost pornographic depictions of the female nude in relation to themes of sex and death represented a bold new approach to figure painting, one that greatly influenced Bacon’s development as an artist. Like many of his contemporaries, Bacon was deeply inspired by Picasso’s modernist techniques, a fact evident in Bacon’s work such as Two Figures (1953).
Francis Bacon was profoundly captivated by photography, with a particular reverence for the work of Eadweard Muybridge (1830-1904). Muybridge's influence on Bacon's artistic vision is unmistakable, especially in the depiction of the human form in his painting Two Figures (1953). As Bacon himself said in a reflection on Muybridge’s legacy, “My principal source of visual information is Muybridge, the 19th- century photographer who photographed human and animal movement. His work is unbelievably precise. He created a visual dictionary of movement, a living dictionary.” (Exposing Muybridge, 2013) With Muybridge’s revolutionary invention of the zoopraxiscope, he allowed for stop motion images to be taken using multiple cameras and angles and in doing so transformed our understanding of human movement. Muybridge projected these images on glass discs, offering a precursor to motion pictures and giving artists a previously unavailable glimpse into the mechanics of the body in motion. In the aforementioned 1987 interview with David Sylvester, Bacon passionately states, "I’ve used Muybridge for instance, very often. It's very interesting work, and these images
were tremendously suggestive to me of ways I could use the human body" (Bacon, 1987, 32:59-33:15). For Bacon, these photographic studies were more than just images they were a treasure trove of inspiration.
Two Figures (1953) is a powerful, raw depiction of sex, death, violence, Nihilism, and primal instincts. The painting erupts with its visceral depiction of two naked men wrestling on an unmade bed. One figure is pinned down, contorted in a mixture of misery and euphoria, while the other aggressively forces him into submission. The scene is inspired by a series of Muybridge’s iconic 1880s photographs of wrestling men, but Two Figures transcends mere representation it is a dramatic, emotional explosion. Some interpretations suggest the painting alludes to a tumultuous, passionate encounter between Bacon and his lover Peter Lacy (the figure on top), but the ambiguity of the figures' expressions invites a more universal exploration of power dynamics and
intimacy. The use of soft, muted tones whites, lilacs, blues, and pinks against the deep, looming blue background pulls the viewer into the emotional intensity of the scene. Bacon's method of blending these desaturated colours creates a powerful sense of motion, an echo of Muybridge’s pioneering stop -motion photography. Bacon’s signature use of geometric shapes and lines in the background adds another layer of complexity. The white lines that dictate the dimension of the room entrap the subjects in an empty cell of a kind of solitary confinement. The streaks of cold white light bare down on the two wrestlers turning everything beyond the perimeter of the ring, even the audience, into an indiscernible void. Alone, even in company, even in the spotlight. The painting exudes a sense of confinement, an unrelenting tension that encapsulates Bacon’s unflinching exploration of the human condition raw, vulnerable, and painfully real. radiates
Sensation
An essential component in understanding Francis Bacon’s artistic process and the profound, often gritty, intellectual underpinning of his practice is an exploration of the
interpretation of the term sensation, as defined by Gilles Deleuze (1925–1995) in 1981.
To deepen my understanding of sensation, I looked Ben Ware’s Francis Bacon: Painting, Philosophy, Psychoanalysis (2019) as well as Peter Bürger’s book Bacon – The Violence of the Real (2016). In an earlier discussed1966 inter view with David Sylvester, Bacon discusses “what art is all about” explaining that he wants to be “as factual as possible and at the same time as deeply suggestive or deeply unlocking of areas of sensation other than simple illustration of the object that you set out to do.” (Bacon, 1966, 14:5515:15) For Bacon, sensation should not be understood as the mere interplay of opposing emotions, such as love and hatred, which he regarded as overly rational. Instead, sensation should communicate an immediate, visceral experience that feels profoundly real to the viewer on a personal level. “Sensation is what is painted. What is painted on the canvas is the body not insofar as it is represented as an object, but insofar as it is experiences as sustaining this sensation” (Ware, 2019, p. 143)
Francis Bacon's paintings are deeply emotional, and when creating, he looked not to tell a specific story or convey a particular narrative. Instead, his aim was to communicate a direct, intense sensation. In Ben Ware’s Francis Bacon: Painting, Philosophy, Psychoanalysis (2019), a passage discusses Deleuze's central thesis about what Deleuze considered the true focus of Bacon’s work:
“Francis Bacon’s painting is of a very special violence. Bacon, to be sure, often traffics in the violence of a depicted scene: spectacles of horror, crucifixions, prosthesis and mutilations, monsters. But there are overly facile detours, detours that the artist himself judges severely and condemns in his work. What directly interests him is a violence that is involved only with colour and line; the violence of a sensation (and not of a representation), a static or potential violence, a violence of reaction and expression.” (Deleuze, 1981, quoted in Ware 2024, p 14)
Ware objects to Deleuze’s statement, arguing that his thesis ultimately overlooks what truly compels viewers in Bacon’s art. For Bacon, sensation was about creating an immediate, visceral impact. He wanted his paintings to “pass via the ‘Figure’... directly onto ‘the nervous system’” (Ware, 2019, p. 43) and mirror the chaotic intensity of the
human condition. Ware further emphasizes that “the point is not – or at least not primarily – to interpret his work, but rather to hold oneself open to the ‘intense modes of sensation’ which the works themselves convey through rhythm, colour and line.” (Ware, 2019, p.15) Developing this further Ware states that Bacon’s work “invites us to a new level of intellectual consideration, forcing us to rethink, clarify, modify and rearticulate our philosophical and psychoanalytic ideas.” (Ware, 2019, p.16) The introduction to Francis Bacon: Painting, Philosophy, Psychoanalysis addresses the philosophical and psychological connections between Bacon’s work and his intellectual influences. Ware highlights Bacon’s preoccupation with "the demonic forces in every man which try to take possession of him... the anxiety at the thought of living... feelings of emptiness, meaninglessness, and despair" (Ware and Caygill, 2019, p. 13). This quote effectively encapsulates how Bacon’s struggles with his upbringing and identity resonate with themes of Nihilism and Existentialism, which, though indirect, are reflected in his artwork.
The Russian art critic, Victor Shklovsky, discusses his perspective of what art is in Art as Technique (1917), and I believe it solidifies everything I have discussed about sensation:
“Art exists that one may recover the sensation of life; it exists to make one feel things, to make the stone stoney. The purpose of art is to impact the sensations of things as they are perceived and not as they are known... Art is a way of experiencing the artfulness of an object; the object is not important.”
(Shklovsky, 1917, p. 72)
I will now conduct a visual analysis of Study after Velázquez’s Portrait of Pope Innocent X (1953) in relation to sensation, as there are numerous misconceptions surrounding the painting's meaning. This work is Bacon’s reimagining of Velázquez’s Portrait of Pope Innocent X (1650), a religious portrait that conventionally symbolizes power and religious authority. Bacon’s portrayal of the Pope is not only an emotional response but an embodiment of the raw, unsettling intensity that defines his artistic approach. In contrast to the original, Bacon’s rendition distorts the Pope’s image in a grotesque and unsettling manner, which has often been interpreted as representing the fear and oppression people associate with religion. However, Study after Velázquez’s Portrait of Pope Innocent X extends beyond the mere evocation of terror, embodying terror itself.
141cm x 119cm
Differing from Velázquez’s original painting, where Pope Innocent X appears composed and at ease, Bacon’s Study after Velázquez’s Portrait of Pope Innocent X (1953) presents the figure as if trapped between encroaching black walls, inducing a claustrophobic terror in the subject. The entire composition is dominated by vertical lines, which evoke the sensation of heavy rain relentlessly crashing down on the Pope as he screams in agony, desperately clutching his throne. These lines contribute to an atmosphere of chaos, which can be linked to the overwhelming existential angst and even mania that accompanies Nihilism. In Francis Bacon: Painting, Philosophy, and Psychoanalysis (Ware and Caygill, 2019), it is noted that “the screams and cries that many of Bacon’s figures emit can... be viewed as a confrontation with the primal horror of existence.” (Ware, 2019, p. 13-14) Bacon distorts the Pope’s face, opening his mouth and eyes so widely that one can almost hear his horrified screams. Bacon showed a profound interest in anatomy, particularly in understanding the intricate workings of the human body and face. This fascination with the anatomical structure was significantly influenced by the cinematography of Sergei Eisenstein (1898–1948), which notably
affected the subject matter and composition in Bacon's Pope series. Traces of Eisenstein's iconic shot of a woman screaming from his silent film Battleship Potemkin (1925) are clear in Bacon's work. Battleship Potemkin, a film based on the events of a 1905 mutiny by the crew of a Russian warship in the Black Sea, had a lasting influence on Bacon’s artistic approach. Bacon’s grotesque distortion of the face imbues the painting with a raw, unsettling quality; trapping the viewer, frozen in that same sensation of fear. This links back to sensation, as Bacon is not telling a story. Through the crude, aggressively impasted brushwork, Bacon hits the viewers on a deep psychological level. It is not a reproduction of a religious painting; it is a painting that taps into the human psyche, evoking fear and discomfort
In Bacon – The Violence of the Real, Armin Zweite explores the profound personal challenges faced by Francis Bacon throughout his life, suggesting that these experiences likely contributed to an ever-present sense of isolation. Zweite posits that Bacon's feeling of being an outsider within his own family led him to adopt a stance of rebellion against all forms of authority, including the rejection of paternal influence: "he made it his own mission to take his rebellion against any form of authority to extremes, including the rebellion... against his own father" (Green, A., 2016, p. 70). This sentiment is not only evident in Bacon’s personal history but is also vividly expressed through his art. Bacon’s sense of alienation is particularly manifested in his distinctive use of bold, expressive brushwork, wherein gestural, vertical strokes evoke the appearance of prison bars. This visual representation imprisons Pope Innocent X within the confines of the painting, further emphasizing Bacon's feelings of estrangement and seclusion. When being interviewed by Sylvester, Bacon discusses sensation in relation to the isolation of his figures, stating: “I want to isolate the image and take it out of context so that it becomes an image which unlocks valves of feeling and creates sensation.” (Bacon, 1966) Again, this quote highlights Bacon’s desire to reach into deeper layers of the human experience, focusing on the impact of an image rather than its narrative. He was far more interested in the feeling his paintings evoked than the intellectual engagement they had. Additionally, Bacon’s departure from the rich and vibrant reds, golds and creams, as seen in Velázquez's Portrait of Pope Innocent X, is noteworthy. Bacon instead predominantly employs purple for the Pope’s figure, a colour historically
associated with power, death, and negativity. The inclusion of harsh black, white, and grey brushstrokes disrupts the purples, reinforcing the psychological undercurrent of existential terror and Nihilism. In the context of Nihilism, the choice of purple can be interpreted as symbolizing Bacon's rejection of any inherent meaning in religion. Broadley refers to Bacon’s rendition of Velázquez’s stating that, “Bacon transformed the subject of the Pope, stripping away almost all vestiges of dignity and piety.” (Broadley, 2024, p. 14) The overwhelming presence of black, which nearly overthrows the purple, further conveys the artist's thematic engagement with existential anxiety the notion that existence is ultimately devoid of purpose. While Velázquez’s depiction highlights the Pope’s authority and opulence, with his richly adorned clothing and golden throne, Bacon’s reinterpretation strips the figure of this status, leaving him instead to confront the torment and isolation imposed by nihilistic and existential thought. This stark contrast underscores the thematic exploration of alienation and despair central to Bacon’s work.
A Great Liberation
In Chapter 1, I discussed the teachings of Nihilism and Existentialism, emphasizing the dual paths these philosophies offer: one that leads to existential dread and torment, and the other that leads to liberation and a sense of freedom. To illustrate the latter, I believe Francis Bacon’s later work, Three Studies for a Self-Portrait (1978–1980) serves as a compelling example, demonstrating both his personal development and artistic evolution. As a triptych, a form historically used since the Baroque period (17th–18th Century) for altarpieces and sculptures, Three Studies for a Self-Portrait presents a visual representation of the passage of time, offering Bacon a space and moment for self-reflection. This work contrasts sharply with his earlier paintings, such as Study after Velázquez’s Portrait of Pope Innocent X (1953), which are dominated by themes of terror and discomfort. Instead, Three Studies for a Self-Portrait (1978–1980) radiates a sense of confidence and clarity, evoking a calmness and contentment that signifies a shift in Bacon’s emotional and artistic trajectory.
Three Studies for a Self-Portrait (1978–1980) depicts multiple angles of Bacon’s own face, where parts are distorted or contorted while other sections are obscured by shadows. In the previously mentioned interview with David Sylvester in 1966, Bacon further develops this idea of distortion by saying, “what I want to do is to distort the thing far beyond the appearance, but in the distortion to bring it back to a recording of the appearance...”(Bacon, 1966) The triptych format here is not only a structural choice but also a tool for exploring the self, reflecting Bacon’s journey towards personal and artistic confidence. The work suggests a moment of self-reflection that resonates with the concept of a nihilistic awakening, in which one confronts the fluctuating nature of human existence. Through presenting varying perspectives of his face, Bacon conveys a newfound sense of stability and self-assurance, a striking contrast to the anxiety and chaos seen in his earlier works. The portraits are set against a stark, black background, which, according to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, "allows only for the ruminations of the face itself its ravages, its deep psychological depths, and the sense of around it slowly, moving from one frame to the next, as if in a languorous panning shot." (Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2018)
The colour palette of Three Studies for a Self-Portrait is muted and restrained, with cooltoned purples, bluish crimsons, and greys, creating an almost morbid, sickly portrayal of the face. Richard Calvocoressi, in Francis Bacon: Human Presence, describes the work as presenting "multiple views of the same face, evoking an existential idea of human identity as fluctuating and contingent; close-up heads, tightly framed and
occasionally cropped, their contours often sharply outlined; and blank, sometimes black backgrounds that isolate the subject and throw it into ever sharper relief" (Calvocoressi, 2024, p. 36-38). This description highlights the existential concerns central to the painting, suggesting that, through a nihilistic lens, Bacon reflects JeanPaul Sartre's theory of responsibility the individual's struggle with the idea of being accountable for their own existence and purpose. Calvocoressi further notes that Three Studies for a Self-Portrait is "one of the starkest and most frontal of his late triptychs of heads, its poignant sense of mortality recalling the first... Except for subtle passages of colour in the skin and hair, Bacon’s palette is restricted to black and white, with black predominating" (Calvocoressi, 2024, p 38). Here, Calvocoressi is referring to a technique known as chiaroscuro, the interplay of light and shadow which creates depth and dimension, heightening the emotional intensity of the piece. This method underpins the tension between presence and absence, emphasizing the complexities of identity and existence within Bacon’s later works.
In Three Studies for a Self-Portrait, the blurring and disfiguration of his self-portrait can be interpreted as a manifestation of his internal struggles with finding purpose and confronting the loss of identity issues that are central to the nihilistic worldview. In Ben Ware's book Francis Bacon: Painting, Philosophy, Psychoanalysis (Ware & Caygill, 2019), the author asserts that Bacon's work addresses "the demonic forces in every man that try to take possession of him… the anxiety at the thought of living… feelings of emptiness, meaninglessness, and despair" (Ware & Caygill, 2019, p. 13). One of the most significant challenges associated with Nihilism and Existentialism is the pessimistic outlook that arises from the belief that humans are not inherently born with purpose. Embracing the consequences of these philosophies in daily life constantly questioning one's existence demands considerable time and as well as intellectual emotional effort, resources that most individuals lack. As a result, those struggling with nihilistic and existential thoughts often suppress their conclusions about existential questions, leading to an accumulation of existential anxiety and depression. In examining Bacon's earlier works, these feelings of despair can be linked to the emotional scars of his troubled youth, providing context for the profound sense of misery that permeates much of his art.
Calvocoressi mentions how, “one side of the artist's ageing face is in complete darkness; in the centre, it seems to loom towards the spectator ” (Calvocoressi, 2024, p 38) This idea of “ageing” links with the triptych and again solidifies the self-reflection I believe Three Studies for a Self-Portrait represents. Growing up in an environment where you are not accepted from an early age was detrimental to Bacon perspective of life and death and it is shown through his portraits. These are deliberately not illustrative selfportraits, they are images that show Bacon’s struggle with introspection. Ben Ware shares his point of view on life and death regarding Bacon’s work, specifically his selfportraits.
“The invisible forces ‘are nothing other than forces from the future... diabolical powers of the future knocking at the ‘door’ - in a word, death. But by turning to face death – having life literally scream at death as some of Bacon’s canvases do - ‘death is no longer this all-too -visible thing that makes us faint; it is the invisible force that life detects, flushes out and makes visible... . Death is judged from the point of view of life, and not the reverse, as we like to believe” ( Ware, 2019, p 143)
In this passage Deleuze suggests that death is not merely a material realist but also perceived as an abstract inevitability, a psychic force that is constantly shaping lived experience. We are so often preoccupied with looking at life in the context of death, a living body that dies and decays, that we discount our experience, that we are “[judging death] from the point of view of life”. So faced with an inevitable end Bacon’s work insists on an intense life rich with sensation. I believe that in Three Studies for a SelfPortrait, Bacon communicates his growing awareness of his own morality and the idea that death in unavoidable. The central panel almost feels as if Bacon is staring directly into death. This made me think of when I first saw Three Studies for a Self-Portrait and how it reminded me of the times I would stare at myself in the mirror for so long that that I felt I wasn’t real anymore. In addition to this, Bacon discusses his perspective on life and death in relation to his art in an interview with Sylvester in 1987 where he says, “I try to make it as intensely real as I can for myself and in doing that I may bring in very strongly this quality of morality, because the more violently, more strongly you feel about life, the more strongly you must be aware of death.” (Bacon,1987, 3:33-4:00) By
facing death directly, I think that Bacon comes to terms with the idea that death in unavoidable and part of the human experience.
A significant yet often overlooked aspect of Bacon's success is his remarkable bravery. Despite the challenges of his tumultuous past and the profound personal losses he endured throughout his life, he managed to transform these traumatic experiences into deeply beautiful, evocative, raw, and authentic works of art. I hold great admiration for Bacon's ability to confront these hardships directly, as expressing such vulnerability is undeniably difficult. As is continuing onward once you have confronted the meaninglessness of life and the cold indifference of the universe.
Conclusion
In conclusion, this dissertation has examined the profound impact of Nihilism and Existentialism on Francis Bacon’s art, exploring how these philosophical ideologies are embodied in his raw and unsettling figurative works. Bacon’s rejection of traditional religious and moral frameworks aligns closely with nihilistic thought, where the lack of inherent meaning in life forces individuals to confront existential questions about purpose, identity, and self- determination. Through the analysis of key works such as Two Figures (1953), Study After Pope Innocent X (1953), and Three Studies for a SelfPortrait (1973), it has become clear that Bacon’s exploration of human suffering, isolation, and mortality reflects the deeply personal and existential crises he faced throughout his life. Drawing from Nietzsche’s concept of Nihilism and Sartre’s ideas of individual responsibility and freedom, Bacon’s paintings illustrate a vivid dialogue with the chaos and liberation that can arise from accepting the meaninglessness of existence. The influence of photography, particularly that of Eadweard Muybridge, further enriched Bacon’s ability to capture movement and emotion, heightening the tension and complexity in his work. Ultimately, Bacon’s art emerges as a powerful meditation on the human condition, offering a visceral exploration of both despair and freedom in a world devoid of inherent meaning. In this way, Bacon’s oeuvre serves as a visual manifestation of the philosophical dilemmas of Nihilism and Existentialism, creating a space where meaning is both questioned and personally constructed.
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