Francis Bacon's Pope series, inspired by Diego Velázquez's Portrait of Pope Innocent X from 1650, represents one of the most intense explorations of human emotion and expression in 20th-century art. Starting in the late 1940s and extending into the 1960s, Bacon created around 50 variations of Velázquez's portrait, transforming the original image into a conduit for his own themes of power, torment, and isolation. These works are distinguished not only by their emotional intensity but also by their distinctive stylistic features, such as the use of vertical folds that resemble curtains or veils, adding to the sense of the figure's isolation and emotional depth (Wikipedia).
The screaming mouth, often isolated from other facial features and without any narrative context, became a central motif in these works, symbolizing existential agony and the pathos of human vulnerability. Bacon used precisely rendered space frames to encase his figures, likening them to beings trapped within a "glass capsule" of individual suffering, a notion that resonates with Friedrich Nietzsche's philosophical ideas, one of Bacon's influences (Phaidon).
Bacon's choice of the Pope as a subject was layered with personal and historical significance. Despite his atheist stance and critical view of the Catholic Church, Bacon was drawn to the iconography of Catholicism from the early stages of his career. The image of the Pope, and particularly Pope Innocent X, held personal resonance due to Bacon's troubled relationship with his own father and his experiences growing up amidst the religious and social tensions in Ireland. Historically, Pope Innocent X was a significant figure during the English Civil War, supporting the Irish fight for independence, which added another layer of complexity to Bacon's choice of subject (Artnet News).
In these paintings, Bacon also explored themes of animal instinct and the primal aspects of humanity. He believed the mouth to be the most primal part of the human body, a belief that informed his portrayal of the Popes, often depicted within cage-like structures that symbolize societal norms and the inherent primal nature within all beings (Artnet News).
The series stands as a profound meditation on power, spirituality, and the human condition, presenting the Pope not as a divine figure but as a symbol of universal human anguish and vulnerability. By blending historical references, personal symbolism, and existential themes, Bacon's Pope series remains a cornerstone of his oeuvre and a landmark in the history of art (Sothebys.com) (Francis Bacon).