Two Studies for a Portrait of Richard Chopping 1978

Francis Bacon painted these studies of Richard Chopping using oil on canvas, and right away, you get a sense that he's not just trying to copy what he sees. Look at the right-hand panel: the way he's smeared and blended those purple hues, it feels like he's digging into something deeper than just skin tone. See how the paint is thin in some areas, almost transparent, and then thick and opaque around the nose and mouth? It's like he's building up layers of feeling as much as layers of paint. I always think about de Kooning when I look at Bacon, two artists wrestling with the figure, pushing it, pulling it, and trying to find something raw and real in the process. Ultimately, it's not about getting it "right," but about finding a way to express something true about the human condition.