Head Surrounded by Sides of Beef by Francis Bacon

Head Surrounded by Sides of Beef - Francis Bacon - 1954 -

Why Head Surrounded by Sides of Beef by Francis Bacon is such a famous painting:

• Bacon’s power, horror and Pope obsessions.
• Raw meat means vulnerability in Head Surrounded by Sides of Beef.
• People love Francis Bacon’s shocking, screaming Popes.

The UnderCliff by Richard Parkes Bonington

The Undercliff Watercolor 1828

Foreboding waves crash The Undercliff painting. This makes literal and figurative sense. After all, Richard Parkes Bonington painted it one month before dying. He was twenty five years old with TB. It was 1828 and tuberculosis was known as the “robber of youth” at the time.

EOW on Her Blue Eiderdown II by Frank Auerbach

Frank Auerbach - EOW in Her Blue Eiderdown

The painting EOW on Her Blue Eiderdown II presents us with seductive obscurity. Frank Auerbach was a true romantic and it shows here. This painting may seem blunt at first. But the piece demands a deeper look.

Flaming June by Frederic Leighton

Flaming-June-Leighton

Flaming June sings to us with radiant color and elemental symbols. Many see this painting as simple. It’s a beautiful woman in a glorious dress. They’re not wrong. But as with most masterpieces, more levels of meaning resonate here.

Here Comes the Diesel by Leon Kossoff

leon_kossoff_Here-comes-the-diesel

Here Comes the Diesel by Leon Kossoff feels like a fight. Viewers must battle our way through the choppy chaotic brambles to even see the title’s train. Kossoff drives paint across the canvas like a barrage. It brings to mind the rush of a train, powering through forests and fields.