Francis Bacon Commitment and Conflict Wieland Schmied Francis Bacon is given a highly insightful re-examination through critical commentary, brilliant reproductions and private photographs in this beautifully produced flexi edition. The existential anxiety of modern man, the inescapability of death, and the catastrophe of loneliness are some of the themes that wend their way through Francis Bacon’s work, much of which took the form of triptychs or tortured self-portraits. In this comprehensive study of one of the twentieth century’s most passionately committed artists, Wieland Schmied offers an insightful overview of Bacon’s life, analyzes his paintings and examines the creative processes they embody. He explores in depth Bacon’s subtle use of space, the development of his imagery, idiosyncratic painting technique, and place in the pantheon of twentieth-century artists. Wieland Schmied is the author of many books on twentieth-century art. He lives in Munich, Germany.