What are the triptychs painted by Francis Bacon?

Between 1944 and 1986, the artist Francis Bacon created 28 known triptychs, beginning with smaller formats before moving on to large-scale works in 1962. These three-panel paintings often explored sequential themes, including the famous Black Triptychs created after the suicide of his former lover, George Dyer. Bacon typically painted them by starting with the left panel and working across sequentially.

What we know

• Francis Bacon painted 28 known triptychs between 1944 and 1986. [2, 5]
• Bacon graduated to large triptych formats in 1962 after starting with smaller scales in the mid-1940s. [2, 5]
• The Black Triptychs were created between 1972 and 1974 as an exorcism of grief following the suicide of George Dyer. [3, 5]
• Bacon's usual practice for triptychs was to begin with the left panel, complete each frame, and sometimes return later for revisions. [5]

Where to go next

• whoWho was George Dyer?
• a case in pointWhat are the Black Triptychs?
• how it workedWhy did Bacon prefer the triptych format?
• how we knowHow did Francis Bacon create his paintings?
• the bigger pictureWhat are the major works of Francis Bacon?
• an unexpected connectionHow did a Paris hotel room death inspire a major painting series?George Dyer committed suicide just two days before Bacon's career-making retrospective opened, directly triggering the creation of the emotional Black Triptychs series.

Sources

• [1]Triptychs by Francis Bacon (Wikidata Q7843832) · CC0 1.0
• [2]Triptychs by Francis Bacon · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [3]The Black Triptychs · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [4]Triptych, 1976 · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [5]List of large triptychs by Francis Bacon · CC BY-SA 4.0