3. Francis Bacon – Three Studies Of Lucian Freud
Francis Bacon and Lucian Freud were introduced in 1945 by fellow artist Graham Sutherland, they swiftly became close friends who met frequently. The two artists painted each other several times, starting in 1951, when Freud first sat for Bacon. Two full-length triptychs of Freud were painted by Bacon. Three Studies of Lucian Freud is the later of the two; the first one, was created in 1966, but has not been seen since 1992. They form part of a series of large triptych portraits of Bacon’s friends painted in the 1960s; other subjects include Isabel Rawsthorne, Muriel Belcher and the artist’s lover George Dyer. Bacon and Freud’s friendship sadly ended after an argument in the mid-1970s. The triptych is considered one of Bacon’s greatest masterpieces. It sold after six minutes of fierce bidding in November 2013, according to auction house Christie’s, for the grand sum of £89 million.