Francis Bacon was known for his raw imagery that focused on the human form. This publication, accompanying an exhibition of the same title, features more than 50 works from the 1940s onwards, explores Bacon’s deep connection to portraiture and how he challenged traditional definitions of the genre.

The book design captures an essence of Bacon’s fractured and un-settled style through the use of two contrasting type styles, a dark book-weight serif and a bolder sans serif, that interact and swap throughout. Alternating in position from left to central to right aligned, drawing attention to tiles and sitter names.

Sections are divided through colour, drawn from key works, with large scale quotations to introduce the content. A photographic chapter uses a warm grey background hue to create a more intimate impression of the black and white imagery.

The book features texts by Georgia Atienza, Tanya Bentley, Richard Calvocoressi, James Hall, Martin Harrison, Carol Jacobi, John Maybury, Sophie Pretorius and Gregory Salter.