Works on Paper

Over seventy works on paper were found in Bacon's Reece Mews studio and these are now in the collection of the Hugh Lane Gallery. They are among the most important discoveries of the project. In all the interviews Bacon gave from around 1962 onwards, he denied that he made any preparatory drawings before he started to paint. Some of his close friends knew that he produced drawings and even owned some of these works, but they followed Bacon's wish to keep them out of the public domain. The Hugh Lane collection of drawings is one of the most comprehensive and provides a good record of the type of works Bacon was producing from the 1930s to the 1980s. Collectively, they provide new perspectives on Bacon's thought processes and working methods. All the works are unsigned and most are undated. Most are monochromatic. Some can be related to finished paintings whereas with others the links are more tenuous.