The screaming pope was (and I believe still is) on display at my local museum. I used to obsessively look at it as a kid, I blame it for turning me into a goth

Makes me think of Dante's Inferno, when he came across Boniface VIII in the bottom circle of hell, despite Boniface still being alive. As it turned out, Boniface had done something so heinous his soul was sent to hell before he died, and a demon took over his body.

I went to see his art in London, and staring into his bigger paintings in a dimly lit room in silence with many others was one of the most surreal moment of my life.

please don't stop what you're doing - this channel is gold

This is my shit right here, more of this haunting twisted stuff PLEASE!!!!!

My sister is studying art history, she’s extremely passionate about it, and I always admired her for her ability to read paintings and make a coherent story out of it. She’s living far away from me, so we don’t get to go to museums and talk about art often nowadays. These videos do not only feed my interests and curiosity, but they also remind me of my sister and make me feel closer to her. If she doesn’t know your channel yet, I’ll recommend it to her, she’ll love it! Thank you for your great work!

Something I’d like to mention (specifically referring to three studies for figures) bacon was fascinated with the connection between man, and animal. How animalistic man can be at times, and how we are just animals. this painting is a display of that; The figures have human features that are distinctly recognisable, ears, gnarling teeth, an ear, but the rest isn’t human, and is almost chimaera like For anyone interested, this is also what made him paint his bull fighting series of paintings

Even though it’s not Bacon’s intention, this portrait feels like a representation of either deep religious trauma or a fear or hatred of the Catholic Church. It’s certainly unnerving!

I see a pope on an electric chair.

This is the first I’ve ever heard of Francis Bacon in my 40 years of life… and I feel like I have been missing out. Thank you for breathing air into my life!

During WW2 Bacon was in the Civil Defence in London until 1943. He spent a lot of time recovering the dead from destroyed buildings and this had a profound effect on him. He painted during and after the war about the pain, anguish and anger about the sights he had seen. It had a profound effect on him and that is why many of his paintings have a form of animal violence about them.

With plans to create artwork with similar themes, an art teacher directed me to this piece. Thanks for the really informative video, I had no clue how the screaming pope looked and wasn't let down by the pacing - cheers!

I love this painting so much! It's so visceral I can quite literally *feel* its angst.

Fun fact if you aren't aware, Francis Bacon and the screaming pope were huge inspirations for the creators of the Silent Hill video game series. If you're a fan of Bacon's work I highly recommend you play (or view) at least the second game. It's artistic merit is right up there with bacon's paintings.

Are ya winnin son.

my goodness, I'm binge watching your vids right now and they are all entertaining and educational. I'm learning so much from your channel. KEEP UPPP!!! YOU DESERVE SO MUCH SUBS AND MIL. VIEWS!!!!!!! ❤️

Fantastic video, love Francis Bacon. If ever you're in Dublin I recommend a visit to the Hugh Lane Gallery, they moved his entire studio there (literally) after he died. Also there is Figure with Carpet, a work that was only discovered when they were moving the studio and is one of my favourites by Bacon.

I've only been watching your videos since yesterday, and you have made me more interested in art history than I'd ever thought I'd be. My art teacher in high school was only accredited to teach art history, and was the kind of teacher who can't ever accept that a student wasn't intellectually inferior to him in every way, and he said I was seeing things that weren't there when I pointed out a triangle in a painting's composition when it wasn't in his lesson plan about how lines of action (and *only* lines of action) lead the eye from one side of the painting to the other. No triangles allowed. I've never taken an art history course, and after being treated like an idiot for knowing more about color theory than he did, I didn't want to. Even just the first three and a half minutes of this video has more emotional and technical engagement with the subject matter than that entire semester did. Thank you.

To me, it looks like those black lines are either smoke, or some sort of demonic aura, covering him, rushing up and down around him. As if he's being sucked down into another world. It's scary because I can't make out the entire face, like he's slowly vanishing. I can see blurry parts of glasses and his hat, but the most prominent feature is the wide screaming mouth. If I look long enough, I can imagine him screaming. ...Disturbing, isn't it?

Ive seen a very amazing artists copy of this work, with their own spin on it and it is just out of this world! cannot imagine the original in the flesh wow!

saw this painting at the Des Moines art center in person and each time I go it's the one that speaks to me the most, im glad i could finally learn a little more about the artist and the piece.

I could spend my entire day on this channel and not regret a second

I remember my Art teacher using these two paintings as an example of "paraphrasing" (that's the term in swedish, idk if it is in english) art and I remember how haunting that Bacon painting was to young me.. still is, too. It's one of those pieces of arts that makes you unable to look away, just because how unsettling and haunting it is. I love it.

Purple colour in catholic liturgy symbolises grieving and is used for example during lent or funerals.

I think Spielberg during the time of filming 'Raiders Of The Lost Ark' must have had this painting in mind.

In love with this kind of content, honestly I thought that this would have millions of views but makes me sad is not the thing.

One of life's great ironies is that, even though it's nearly impossible to describe what constitutes great art, when we see, it is instantly recognisable. Much gratitude to you, and to Mrs. Bacon and Velasquez.

This is such a gem! Thanks for putting this up!

And that is what is beautiful about art, expression of oneself in the most original way making it historical and history.

Just wanted to say that this channel has gotten me interested in art & art history. Keep up the good work, these videos are great!

I'm in IB visual art and used this piece in my comparative study- loved this video. It realy helped me in anazlysing the painting. EXCELLENTE

Went to the Des Moines museum for school and ended up writing my whole paper on it. It's so captivating

Thanks for these videos, I've never looked into paintings much but this channel (today and yesterday) has shown me multiple ones that I now love.

I can not believe you are not more famous. This is a gem

Another fascinating aspect of Bacon's pope is its esoteric connection to the Joker in Batman. The white face and purple clothing are carried over, and the screaming is transfigured into maniacal laughter. This connection was explicitly referenced in Tim Burton's Batman when the one painting spared defacement by the Joker in Gotham Museum is 'Figure with Meat' (Pope Innocent X again). He says "I kinda like this one, Bob. Leave it." Christopher Nolan took inspiration for Heath Ledger's Joker from Bacon's work as well

I have a print of the album cover art for Ghost's "Prequelle" hanging up next to my desk, which is another variation on Pope Innocent X done by the Polish artist Zbigniew M. Bielak. His piece is much more Hieronymus Bosch meets AI dreamscape done in painfully minute detail. Comparing both of these pieces to Velázquez’s original realism reminds me of a short essay I wrote years ago when I was an undergrad taking Aesthetic Theory in which I argued that surrealism is actually a form of hyper-realism. Velázquez’s shows Pope Innocent X in a single shinning moment of material splendor in all the sumptuousness of papal and by extension Vatican finery, while Bacon and Bielak's art can be seen as a vomiting out, a lancing of a purulent wound caused by the influence of The Church.

Francis Bacon was a fascinating man. His work is challenging, violent, sometimes disgusting-- but it has a deep allure to it. A lot of his paintings are both violent and sensual at the same time. Whenever I see one of his paintings for the first time, I kind of want to hate it on instinct, but I end up drawn back to it over and over. It's really a tragedy he destroyed so much of his own work. He's my favorite painter.

my favourite painter of all time. his work is so unbelievably surreal, uncanny and ahead of it's time. it creates a feeling in me that has only ever been matched by recent developments in AI image generation. mirrors into a warped version of the world we see every day

Bacon was but one of many brilliant artists with an aching soul. Torturous realms yield amazing works.

Can't unsee Darth Vader in the Head IV painting at 2:04

Bacon inspired my own personal paintings. I love his religious criticism, and the violent, disturbing imagery. Really suits my emo style

Another reference for his series of popes, although not specifically this one, was Eichmann in a glass cage at his trial. The influence of film (Battleship Potemkin) actually went full circle because David Lynch was heavily influenced by Bacon and continues to be. You can't look at Twin Peaks Season 3 without seeing the influence of Bacon on Lynch's visual imagination throughout.

I grew up in desmoines iowa where this painting resides to this day. It has always been my favorite one.

its amazing how no matter when i look at the screaming pope i can instanly hear and feel his pain and screams inside my head

Looking at this artwork while listening to Rezz - Edge, is an experience in itself.

This video helped me a ton while preparing for my final exams. Thanks a lot!

Thank YOU! i just got back into art and felt bad about using reference material

I've not seen this one in the flesh, but many other of his paintings including one of the pope (not this one though) and besides the sheer size of them, it's so interesting to see how they altogether seem to alter the actual room they're hung in. In the scenarios I've seen one of his paintings hung in the same room as other artists work, it's Bacon's painting that's been the only one in the room, everything else fades and I can never remember the others. It's quite an astounding quality. I've been a huge admirer ever since I first was introduced to his paintings at 19 yo. His work is definately worth seeing irl when you get the chance, even if an exibition only has one of his paintings--go! They are physical and energetic and magnetic in a way very few paintings really are, more like an immersive installation although they're simply paint on canvas as every other painting you ever saw. Any need for comprehensive narrative ceases to exist. He never worked that way, wasn't interested in storytelling or politics and its totally clear the mastery is paint on canvas like never before experienced when you actually see the work. Absolute genius. You're doing the public a great service with this channel, so many channels peddling personal interpretations of art that have nothing to do with the work at all and only perpetuate the misconceptions of what art is, and what artists do and why. It's one of the most misunderstood diciplines I can think of today.

I feel like the lines are an addiction to the pope screaming. It's adding to pain and darkness the painting has

Love how your pfp is like that of those cable channels nobody watched, which is ironic because your videos are much better

Great video! Please more Francis Bacon and maybe some Damien Hirst!

I was looking at this painting today in Rome and have always wondered what the fascination was

I just found out about your channel and I can't stop watching now-

This painting was used as the artwork for the album "Sic Transit Gloria Mundi" by Ulver. Great music and overall artist.

i always thought that the lines went upwards and the image takes place about 0.001 seconds before pope innocent x gets disintegrated by a rocket engine below him.

Metal as fuck

Wtf this is quality content Keep up the good work!

one of my absolute favourite documentaries is "Francis Bacon: A Brush with Violence" which attempts to shed some light on why Bacon's art nails the horror/disgust response from gallery members. it's actually free to watch on youtube, too - i highly recommend people check it out if they want to see more of this kind of thing :)

Honestly, despite the intentions, I can’t help to connect the painting to the absolute scary open secrets of the Catholic Church, and not just that, groups of people that caused pain and anguish throughout generations characterized in one person, who is now in indescribable pain for what he caused. It is no surprise that he painted the man purple, meaning high standing and royalty, not to mention with a pale white man.

I just saw this painting in a book back when i was in high school a few years ago, but i never got to know the true context and details of the painting until recently because of this YT video.

Mark-Anthony Turnage made a piece of music based on this paintings. It is called "three screaming popes", it is terrifying, you can hear them scream

I love disturbing paintings I’m glad I found this channel

Art history is great because when I was walking the Louvre you could see the evolution and start to anticipate what was coming and why

Are his feelings not also reality? Bacon's work is just as realistic as Velazquez. They simply represent different aspects of reality. One of surfaces. One of depths.

The Canvas: TERRYFYING!

Bacon is one of my all time favorite artists!

The lines combined with the screaming make it look like the pope is going super saiyan

I’ve always interpreted the pope as screaming… orders. I took away anger, hostility and domination in addition to pain. An another note, Francis had a FANTASTIC head of hair.

My first thought of those black lines was that they were prison bars. Suffering and contained within an inescapable cage that due to his transparency also pierces his form. Confinement adding to the pain. I also think that art tended to shift from an expression of marvelous technique to what could best paint emotion on canvas. Despite how people complain that art has "degenerated," I have different feelings about the paintings. I have an admiration for Velasquez' ability to put reality itself on canvas. Meanwhile, this painting fucking transfixes me. It evokes more in me than the normal portrait of Pope Innocent X. If people want to yell about how art has somehow become "lesser" (while ignoring all the technically impressive and almost mystical art being posted on the internet all the time by talented digital artists), I don't think they've ever really taken the time to understand the powerful emotions these paintings can cause. The lack of "artistic substance" is overshadowed greatly by the "artistic spectacle." I feel real snobbish after writing that ngl

Wonderful video, thank you!

Head IV looks like Darth Vader

Little known fact is that Francis Bacon went on the start a lucrative sandwich business with John Lettuce and Roger Tomato. They made PBJ.

I feel so uncomfortable looking at the painting…that’s how you know you did a good job

There is no way you can prepare for the ways his painting affect you in person. Seeing the 3 figures at the base of the crucifixion is absolutely terrifying in real life, it made my blood run cold

Brilliant. Thank you. Encapsulates the value of hindsight: metaphysics versus materialism. Timely, AI could never come up with this.

Thanks!

This paint was revered by my professor. It was high on his office's wall as if he adored it. Nothing came good out of it, in fact the most cruel event I have ever seen. There is something wrong with him and him paints. If are attracted by it, better to watch out.

The vertical lines make me think of lines you would use in manga or comics to show emotions

Amazing channel, thank you.

So powerful .

Its such a pity that so many documentaries on Bacon have the comment section turned off....we know why.

Clearly Bacon's interpretation of the Black Lodge; probably came to him in a dream.

6:50 I think his paintings too represented reality. Just a different concept. Maybe souly through his eyes, but I still think it was a reflection of reality in some form.

What the guy under me said This channel is gold

The Canaanites/Phoenicians (both meaning Purple People) took their name from their prestigious dye, adopted by many cultures as a status symbol. The Pope's status may be inverted (from the 'awesome' to the 'awful') but the love of the purple still informs the artist's brush [4:34].

Can I just point of Bacon's hair looks 💯

Hail to wunderbar Francis Bacon ! Hope he will be resurrected soon. Ever since been a GREAT fan of him !!!

Interesting, Thank You.

Ever since I saw this in my 1973 encyclopedia "Painting", I've always wondered what went on history for the pope to be portrayed as that...

MAGNIFICENT. The man was a fugging genius...

francis needed a hug i think

'' doesn't have to do with the artist themselves ... '' artist themselves is all that matters in that case

what is the name of the song that starts at 0:47 ?

I've got to ask: what is the music piece you used for this video?

Very interesting, thanks for sharing

THE GOD EMPEROR OF MANKIND

I can' unsee the fact that it looks like a Yu-Gi-Oh spell card.

2:04 looks like darth vader in the reflection

what is the background music used in this video?

Michel Foucault and his twisted philosophy embody this painting.