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Study for Reece Mews Interior (Francis Bacon's Studio)

Drawing
1982 - 1983 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

In 1977 Michael Clark (born 1954) became a habitue of the Colony Room Club, where he became acquainted with the artist Francis Bacon (1909-1992) and the arts patron Valerie Beston (1922-2005). In the early 1980s Beston suggested that Clark make the first of what became a series of portraits of Bacon, sparking a friendship between the two. Bacon’s work has always been highly influential to Clark, whose style has dark overtones that often echoes that of the older artist.

'Study for Reece Mews, London' (1982-1983) depicts Francis Bacon's studio, which was near the Victoria and Albert Museum. The artist lived and worked in this studio from 1961 until his death. This drawing, and a watercolour of the same subject by Clark now in the collection of the Museum of London (museum number 2000.263), were made when the artist was working on a series of portraits of Francis Bacon. The contents of Bacon's studio were transferred to the Museum of Modern Art in Dublin following the artist's death in 1992. The artist has effectively combined charcoal, pastel and gouache to convey the impression of disarray of Bacon's studio. The central circular motif is the grubby mirror which dominated the room, while the pots of paint brushes, depicted in charcoal, merge together in the background and the impasto of the gouache makes the form of the bare light bulb stand out from the clutter of the studio. This drawing therefore offers the viewer an insight into the squalid working milieu of one of the most celebrated British painters of the 20th century.

Object details

Category
Object type
TitleStudy for Reece Mews Interior (Francis Bacon's Studio) (assigned by artist)
Materials and techniques
Pencil, acrylic, watercolour, ink and pastel on paper
Brief description
Drawing of the interior of Francis Bacon's studio in Reece Mews, by Michael Clark, 1982-1983.
Physical description
Drawing of the interior of a studio with a chaotic arrangement of paint pots, etc., on the floor, against a wall, in muted colours.
Dimensions
  • Sheet height: 20.9cm
  • Sheet width: 29.8cm
  • Image height: 171mm
  • Image width: 231mm
Production typeUnique
Marks and inscriptions
  • 1982/1983 Michael Clark (Signature; date; Front: Bottom centre; Pencil)
  • Study for Reece Mews interior London. (picture title; Front: bottom; Pencil)
  • (Pencil, acrylic, watercolour, ink pastel on paper.) (Front: bottom; Pencil)
Historical context
Francis Bacon's studio was in Reece Mews, near the Victoria and Albert Museum. In 2001, Bacon's sole heir gave the complete contents of the studio to Dublin. It was meticulously recorded, disassembled, packed, transported and reconstructed in the Hugh Lane Municipal Gallery, Dublin, by the director, Barbara Dawson. [Bacon was born in 1909 in Dublin.] The studio `was a famously chaotic jumble of paint, clothes, empty cans, champagne bottles and broken furniture that never had the benefit of cleaning, or even straightening.'
Subject depicted
Summary
In 1977 Michael Clark (born 1954) became a habitue of the Colony Room Club, where he became acquainted with the artist Francis Bacon (1909-1992) and the arts patron Valerie Beston (1922-2005). In the early 1980s Beston suggested that Clark make the first of what became a series of portraits of Bacon, sparking a friendship between the two. Bacon’s work has always been highly influential to Clark, whose style has dark overtones that often echoes that of the older artist.

'Study for Reece Mews, London' (1982-1983) depicts Francis Bacon's studio, which was near the Victoria and Albert Museum. The artist lived and worked in this studio from 1961 until his death. This drawing, and a watercolour of the same subject by Clark now in the collection of the Museum of London (museum number 2000.263), were made when the artist was working on a series of portraits of Francis Bacon. The contents of Bacon's studio were transferred to the Museum of Modern Art in Dublin following the artist's death in 1992. The artist has effectively combined charcoal, pastel and gouache to convey the impression of disarray of Bacon's studio. The central circular motif is the grubby mirror which dominated the room, while the pots of paint brushes, depicted in charcoal, merge together in the background and the impasto of the gouache makes the form of the bare light bulb stand out from the clutter of the studio. This drawing therefore offers the viewer an insight into the squalid working milieu of one of the most celebrated British painters of the 20th century.
Bibliographic reference
Waterfield, Giles (ed.). The Artist's Studio. London: Hogarth Arts, 2009 no.35
Collection
Accession number
E.1464-2001

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Record createdFebruary 12, 2002
Record URL
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