Francis Bacon – Triptych 1991

Œdipe et le Sphinx d'après Ingres 

Artist: Francis Bacon
Title: Triptych 1991
Year: 1992 (after the 1991 painting)
Medium: Etching and aquatint printed in colours on wove paper
Image Size: 134 × 986 mm (52 3/4 × 38 7/8 in) — horizontal triptych format
Sheet Size: 163 × 1207 mm (64 1/8 × 47 3/8 in)
Edition: 84 — stamped signature and numbered in pencil
Signature: Artist's stamped signature and numbered in pencil
Type: Large-format limited edition etching and aquatint — triptych

Description

Triptych 1991 (1992) is the most physically extraordinary object in Francis Bacon's print catalogue — and one of the most remarkable prints produced by any artist in the second half of the twentieth century. At 134 × 986 mm image size on a sheet of 163 × 1207 mm, this is a work of genuinely unprecedented dimensions in the context of intaglio printmaking: a horizontal triptych of almost a metre and a quarter in width, requiring a printing plate and press of exceptional scale, and demanding a physical engagement from the viewer that few prints of any period have achieved. To stand before this work is to stand before something that operates at the scale of painting while retaining the intimate surface qualities of the finest intaglio.

The etching and aquatint combination — Bacon's chosen medium for this work — is the technically most demanding and most rewarding in the printmaker's repertoire: the etched line providing the structural armature of the composition, the aquatint layers building the tonal complexity and chromatic depth that distinguish this from a monochrome transcription. In the context of Bacon's triptych imagery — three panels, three figures, three isolated consciousnesses — the horizontal format of the print presents all three simultaneously in a single unbroken visual field, unlike the painting which exists as three separate canvases. The print is therefore not merely a reproduction of the 1991 painting but a distinct formal proposition: the triptych experienced as a single panoramic image, the isolation of each panel dissolved into an uninterrupted horizontal sweep.

This is among the final graphic works associated with Bacon's studio practice — executed in 1992, the year of his death in Madrid. The stamped signature — applied by the estate in lieu of the artist's hand, consistent with the post-mortem authentication practice for works completed at the end of Bacon's life — and the pencil numbering from an edition of 84 confirm its status as an authorised impression. The edition size of 84 is among the smallest in the Bacon print catalogue for a work of this scale and ambition.

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FAQ

Is this an original Francis Bacon print?
Yes — an original etching and aquatint printed in colours on wove paper, with the artist's stamped signature and numbered in pencil from an edition of 84.

Why is the signature stamped rather than hand-signed?
The work was executed in 1992 — the year of Bacon's death. The stamped signature is the authorised authentication method for works completed at the very end of his life, consistent with estate practice for this category of his prints.

What are the dimensions?
Image: 134 × 986 mm — a horizontal panoramic format of almost a metre in width. Sheet: 163 × 1207 mm. These are among the largest dimensions achieved in intaglio printmaking by any major twentieth-century artist.

What makes this print formally distinct from the painting?
The 1991 painting exists as three separate canvases. This print presents all three panels as a single unbroken horizontal image — a fundamentally different formal experience, making the print not a reproduction but an independent graphic proposition.

What is the edition size?
84 impressions — among the smallest in the Bacon print catalogue for a work of this scale.

Is the work framed?
Please contact us for framing options — given the exceptional width of this work, bespoke framing is required.

Do you ship internationally?
Yes — worldwide. Given the exceptional dimensions, specialist art transport with full insurance is strongly recommended. Please contact us to discuss logistics.

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