Bacon’s Portraits of Women: Moraes, Belcher and Rawsthorne

Tuesday 18 February – Wednesday 30 July 2025



B&W photograph of a B&W photograph Muriel Belcher taken by John Deakin. Francis Bacon Archive, Hugh Lane Gallery



 | Bacon’s Portraits of Women: Moraes, Belcher and Rawsthorne | Tuesday 18 February – Wednesday 30 July 2025 | Hugh Lane Gallery | Image: B&W photograph of a B&W photograph Muriel Belcher taken by John Deakin. Francis Bacon Archive, Hugh Lane Gallery | head-and-torso black-and-white photo; figure looking towards the camera with body slightly turned away, the right shoulder being more forward than the left; dark hair lost in the black background, short-lseeved top, chain necklace, right hand on chest, small watch on wrist; inscrutable demeanour

On view in the Francis Bacon Studio display cases • Curated by AnneMarie Saliba

Bacon’s Portraits of Women explores the artist’s portraits of Henrietta Moraes, Muriel Belcher and Isabel Rawsthorne, three women who were among Bacon’s circle of friends in 1960s Soho, London, and who inspired some of his greatest work.

In London, Bacon often spent his evenings in the Colony Room, a bar owned by Muriel Belcher, which she ran from 1948 to 1979 until her death. Recognising that Bacon was an asset for her business, she gave him a weekly allowance of 10 pounds and provided him with unlimited drinks, in return for bringing guests to the bar.

Among the visitors of the Colony Room was artist and model Isabel Rawsthorne, one of Belcher’s favourite guests. She was a costume and stage designer and often modelled for artists, including Jacob Epstein, André Derain, Alberto Giacometti and Pablo Picasso. Her impressive features and bold presence inspired Bacon to produce several portraits of her.

Henrietta Moraes was also an artists’ model, at art schools in London and of notable artists, including Lucian Freud. Known as the uncrowned Queen of 1950s Soho, Bacon produced at least ten paintings of Moraes, including a triptych. As the basis of his works, Bacon often painted his portraits from photographs taken by Deakin upon request, such as those of Moraes lying nude on a bed.

Selected from Hugh Lane Gallery’s Francis Bacon Archive, this display brings together Deakin’s photography of the three women and illustrations of their striking portraits painted by Bacon.

Image:

B&W photograph of a B&W photograph Muriel Belcher taken by John Deakin. Francis Bacon Archive, Hugh Lane Gallery

Tuesday 18 February – Wednesday 30 July 2025
Hugh Lane Gallery
Parnell Square North
Dublin 1
Telephone: + 353 1 222 5550
info.hughlane@dublincity.ie
www.hughlane.ie
Opening hours / start times:
Tuesday 10.00 - 18:00
Wednesday 10.00 - 18:00
Thursday 10.00 - 18:00
Friday 10.00 - 17:00
Saturday 10.00 - 17:00
Sunday 11.00 - 17:00
Admission / price: Free

 
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