Martin Gayford

Francis Bacon: king of the self-made myth

He was a renowned fabulist as well as a great painter, and Mark Stevens and Annalyn Swan painstakingly sort fact from fiction in their latest biography

Francis Bacon in his studio in London, 1966, photographed by Mario Dondero. Credit: Bridgeman images

  • Francis Bacon: Revelations

    Mark Stevens and Annalyn Swan

    William Collins, pp. 800, £30

Already a subscriber? Log in

This article is for subscribers only

Subscribe today to get 3 months' delivery of the magazine, as well as online and app access, for only £3.

There’s no commitment, you can cancel any time.

  • Weekly delivery of the magazine
  • Unlimited access to our website and app
  • Enjoy Spectator newsletters and podcasts
  • Explore our online archive, going back to 1828

Read next

Trending

Ian Acheson

Tommy Robinson and the truth about two-tier policing

Ian Acheson
Tommy Robinson, a self-invented English ‘patriot’, was free to attend yesterday’s St George’s Day event in central London which descended into ugly clashes between participants and police. Earlier in the day, he had been released from court after successfully arguing that a police dispersal order that resulted in his arrest and charge in November last

Because you read about biography

Also by Martin Gayford

Latest

Comments

A blooming good offer

Join the conversation with other Spectator readers by getting the next 3 months for £3.

Already a subscriber? Log in