Lot Essay
By the late 1950s, the figures in Bacon's work began to twist and turn. Sometimes on a revolving chair, sometimes with no apparent means of support, the figures were caught in the act of turning through 360 degrees. "More life, less art" was the motive behind all this. Bacon had had enough of the controlled grandeur of the figure that sat still and did nothing. "I've always been more interested in what is called 'behavior' and 'life' than in art. If any picture comes off it is because of a chance conjunction between actual living and art."