On view in the Francis Bacon display cases.
Over 570 books were found in Francis Bacon’s studio on subjects drawn from medicine, wildlife, cinema, literature, sport, cookery, languages and travel among other subjects. Many books on art historical subjects, as well as exhibition catalogues of Bacon’s own work and those of other artists, were found among the items in the studio. Like his commissioning photographs of friends which allowed him to paint at a distance from his subject, some of Bacon’s most significant work was based on reproductions of work by other artists.
In addition to the books found in Bacon’s studio, in 2001 the Hugh Lane received a further generous donation of circa 670 books from the Estate of Francis Bacon. These books were originally located in the kitchen and bedroom of 7 Reece Mews and at Dale Farm in Suffolk, a property owned by the artist but which he rarely used. In a number of instances the paint accretions on several of the books and loose pages indicate that the artist referred to them while he was painting. The books on display here include classic works by authors such as Jane Austen, Charles Dickens, Honoré de Balzac and Thomas Mann. A number of authors in Bacon’s library are represented by several books including Henry James, Wilkie Collins, Agatha Christie and Joseph Conrad revealing his particular enjoyment of their work.
