Francis Bacon's foray into the theme of bullfighting in his artworks is a significant exploration of both violence and the primal instincts shared between humans and animals. His fascination with bullfighting is seen as an extension of his broader interest in the raw, visceral aspects of life and the complex dance between life and death. This theme is evident in several of his works from the late 1960s, notably Study for a Bullfight, Number 2 (1969), which is part of a series of three paintings created in the same year. These paintings, including Study for a Bullfight, Number 1 and Study for a Bullfight, Number 3, all executed in 1969, reveal Bacon's unique ability to capture the dynamic movement and eerie fusion of figures, reflecting the intense tussle depicted in bullfights (Wikipedia).
Bacon's interest in bullfighting was part of a larger fascination with animals and their uninhibited behavior, which he believed revealed primal drives and fears that are also present in humans. His paintings often sought to pierce the veneer of civilized behavior to expose these underlying instincts (Home). His approach to the bullfighting theme was not merely a depiction of the sport but a deeper reflection on the themes of violence, spectacle, and the existential drama of human and animal life. The MB Art Foundation notes Bacon's famous regard for bullfighting as 'a marvellous aperitif to sex', highlighting the erotic undercurrents of danger and death in his work (Home).
Interestingly, Bacon's engagement with the theme of bullfighting also included a complex interplay of references and inspirations. For instance, a painting such as Portrait of Isabel Rawsthorne Standing in a Street in Soho (1967) incorporates elements of bullfighting in a composition that also reflects on other themes and influences, from Egyptian art to Bacon's own life experiences and the work of photographers like John Deakin. The inclusion of bullfighting imagery in such works suggests Bacon's interest in blending themes and motifs to create layered and multifaceted compositions (Sothebys.com).
Bacon's bullfight paintings are also considered in the context of his broader oeuvre and thematic preoccupations, including his exploration of man and beast. His assertion that "bullfighting is like boxing – a marvellous aperitif to sex," combined with the presence of thick dollops of white paint that could be interpreted as ectoplasm or semen, indicates a confluence of violence, eroticism, and existential inquiry in these works. This thematic complexity is characteristic of Bacon's approach to art, wherein the visceral and the intellectual are inextricably linked (New Statesman).
Francis Bacon's engagement with bullfighting in his artwork represents a profound meditation on the nature of violence, the spectacle of death, and the primal instincts that underpin human and animal existence. Through his distinctive visual language, Bacon invites viewers to confront the unsettling and often grotesque realities of life, death, and desire.