In camera

Library Journal

Scholarship on the English painter Francis Bacon (1909-92) has mushroomed since his death, with 80-plus titles published in the past decade (see, for instance, Martin Hammer's Bacon and Sutherland, reviewed on this page). Harrison, who has published widely on British photography, provides an essential addition to our understanding of Bacon's art. This strikingly produced and limpidly written work surveys the artist's use of printed and photographic images to create some of the most emotional paintings of the last century. With substantial consideration of his personal life and with access to the extensive archives of his personal and studio materials, Harrison has focused on the artist's use of reproduced images (printed, and later photographic) to shape his depictions. A wonderfully observant chapter considers the impact of Bacon's various studios and the other physical spaces he knew and occupied on the geometry and atmosphere of his paintings. Although supported by the Francis Bacon Foundation, this is independent, original research, with high-level writing and observation. Strongly recommended for all art collections.-Jack Perry Brown, Art Inst. of Chicago Lib. Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.