Francis Bacon: Anatomy of an Enigma

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Francis Bacon is an artist whom viewers have strong feelings about: His work is love-it-or-hate-it kind of stuff. His powerful signature compositions of gnarled, tortured flesh against backgrounds painted in lush, queasy tones aren't exactly pretty. It's difficult, however, to deny this British artist's skill.

Despite the often controversial nature of his work, Bacon's startling paintings have earned him a place as one of the great artists of this century. He was also openly gay. Still, Bacon, who died in 1992, was never the type to flaunt his inner feelings. Particularly not in his art. "Bacon insisted that his painting be viewed in a kind of biographical vacuum," writes Michael Peppiatt in Francis Bacon: Anatomy of an Enigma, his …