The artwork titled “Sphinx-Portrait of Muriel Belcher,” created by Francis Bacon in 1979, is a significant piece within the Expressionism art movement. The portrait, measuring 198 x 147 cm, exemplifies Bacon’s intense and emotional artistic style. This genre of portraiture captures the essence of its subject through a distorted and evocative representation.
In the artwork, the viewer is presented with a figure seated against a backdrop that transitions from a pink vertical rectangle to an expansive orange background. The figure, presumably Muriel Belcher, is depicted in a surreal and contorted form, with elongated limbs and an abstracted, almost grotesque visage. The composition appears to place the subject within a defined geometric space, yet the forms remain fluid and dynamic. Bacon’s use of color is stark and bold, highlighting the emotional intensity and complex psychological depth of the work. The contrasting hues and distorted anatomy serve to create an unsettling, yet compelling portrait that challenges traditional notions of representation and identity.
