Francis Bacon and his circle
Weekend-long art history and theory course
19 March 2022 10am - 5pm20 March 2022 10am - 5pm
Wolfson British Academy Room, Burlington Gardens, Royal Academy of Arts
£420
Francis Bacon: Man and Beast
Terms and conditions
This two-day art history weekend – held onsite at the Royal Academy – explores the life and work of one of the 20th century’s most important artists, Francis Bacon.
This course offers participants an in-depth insight into Francis Bacon and his work, via lectures, talks and exhibition visits from leading art historians and experts.
The weekend unpacks many of the ideas and themes from the Royal Academy’s exhibition Francis Bacon: Man and Beast, evaluating Bacon’s fascination with human and animal forms. Furthermore, we look at biographical elements of the artist's life: his travels, his relationships and his myriad reading materials and influences, to gain a deeper understanding of the artist himself and the incredible work he created.
The course explores Bacon in relation to literature, philosophy, sexuality and gender; as well as taking a biographical approach and revealing his relationship to other great artists of the period, including a dedicated lecture on his relationship with the British painter, and one time RA Schools student, Isabel Rawsthorne.
The course will include a visit to the Francis Bacon: Man and Beast exhibition, a virtual visit to Bacon's Kensington Studio (now in Dublin) and numerous opportunities for debate and discussion – although no prior knowledge is required.
Covid-19 update: We are looking forward to welcoming you back in a way that ensures everyone's safety. Numbers will be limited to allow for social distancing, and we will be following the latest government guidelines. In the event of another national lockdown or enforced closure, we reserve the right to move this event online or to a future date. If you have any questions or concerns, or would like to discuss any accessibility needs, please contact academic.programmes@royalacademy.org.uk.
Minimum age 18.
About the speakers
Professor Dawn Ades CBE is the Royal Academy's Professor of the History of Art. She has also been Professor of Art History and Theory at the University of Essex since 1989, a Fellow of the British Academy, a trustee of Tate and was awarded a CBE in 2013 for her services to art history. She has been responsible for some of the most important exhibitions in London and overseas over the past thirty years, including Dada and Surrealism Reviewed, Art in Latin America and Francis Bacon. She organised the highly successful exhibition to celebrate the centenary of Salvador Dali shown in Venice and Philadelphia in 2004.
Sophie Pretorius is archivist of The Estate of Francis Bacon collection. Her publications on Francis Bacon include 'A Pathological Painter: Francis Bacon and the control of suffering', (Francis Bacon Studies III, 2020), 'The Crime of the Century: Peter Beard and Francis Bacon using images of Africa as evidence of the new scale of death', (catalogue essay, Wild Life: Francis Bacon and Peter Beard, Ordovas, 2021), and 'Work on the Barry Joule Archive', (Francis Bacon Studies IV, 2021).
Dr Jennifer Powell is Curator of Painting and Sculpture at the Royal Academy. She previously worked as a Curator at Tate Britain and the V&A, and most recently Jennifer was Head of Collections, Exhibitions and Research at Kettle's Yard, Cambridge. Jennifer has lectured in the Department of History of Art at the University of Cambridge since 2013 where she teaches on modern and contemporary art and supervises postgraduates. She also lectures for Sotheby's Institute of Art on its exhibition modules. Jennifer has published. widely on modern and contemporary sculpture and specialises in British and French sculpture from c.1920-today, exhibition cultures in London post-1945 (the subject of her PhD) and national identity constructions. Her most recent edited book is Richard Pousette-Dart. Beginnings, Kettle's Yard, 2018.
Dr Margarita Cappock is an art historian, curator and writer based in Dublin City Arts Office. She was formerly Head of Collections at the Hugh Lane Gallery, Dublin which she joined in 1999 as Project Manager of the Francis Bacon Studio and Archive, where she coordinated the documentation and reconstruction of Bacon’s Reece Mews studio and its contents. She is the author of the book, Francis Bacon’s Studio and has written several articles on Francis Bacon and other Irish, British and American Artists for The Burlington Magazine, Irish Arts Review and several other academic journals and exhibition catalogues.
Colin Wiggins was Special Projects Curator at the National Gallery until 2016. Before taking up this post in 2011 he worked in the Gallery’s Education Department where he had special responsibility for the Associate Artist scheme, working with artists such as Paula Rego, Peter Blake, Ana Maria Pacheco and Michael Landy. He has also curated exhibitions at the National Gallery of, amongst others, Frank Auerbach, Anthony Caro, RB Kitaj, Ed and Nancy Kienholz and Bridget Riley.
Dr Carol Jacobi has taught, curated, written and broadcast widely on 19th- and 20th-century art and is a Curator of British Art at Tate Britain. Her most recent displays include the exhibition Van Gogh and Britain (2019) and Alberto Giacometti and Isabel Rawsthorne, a conversation (2022). She has lectured and published on Rawsthorne, Giacometti, Bacon and their circle for over a decade including ‘"A kind of cold war feeling" in British art, 1945-1952' in the award-winning British Art in the Nuclear Age; ‘Picasso’s portraits of Isabel Rawsthorne’ in the Burlington Magazine and the new monograph Out of the Cage: The Art of Isabel Rawsthorne.
Professor Dominic Janes is an art and cultural historian who studies texts and visual images relating to Britain in its local and international contexts since the eighteenth century. Within this sphere he focuses on the histories of gender, sexuality and religion. His latest book is Freak to Chic: ‘Gay’ Men in and Out of Fashion after Oscar Wilde. He has been the recipient of a number of research awards including fellowships from the AHRC and the British Academy and has been a visiting research professor at the University of the Arts London. He is currently a professor at Keele University and a professorial fellow at the University for the Creative Arts.
Professor Rina Arya is Professor of Visual Culture and Theory at the University of Huddersfield. She has written extensively about Francis Bacon. Her book-length studies include Francis Bacon: Painting in a Godless World and Francis Bacon: Critical and Theoretical Perspectives. Recent articles include ‘‘Seeing-as’ The Modality of Looking in Bacon’s Portraiture’ and ‘The Animal Surfaces: The Gaping Mouth in Francis Bacon’s Work’. She has been keen in her research to develop the theoretical threads in Bacon’s work especially the interdisciplinary connections between art, literature and philosophy.
Our courses and classes programme
Our varied programme of short courses and classes provides an opportunity to explore subjects ranging from life drawing to the history of exhibitions and arts management, led by expert tutors and practising artists. These courses introduce traditional art-making processes, as well as perspectives on art history, theory and business.
Give this course as a gift
All of our courses can be purchased as a gift for a friend or family member – giving the gift of education and a remarkable experience. To arrange a personalised Gift Voucher, please contact the Academic Programmes Team, by calling 020 7300 5641 or email academicprogrammes@royalacademy.org.uk