Francis Bacon's Portrait of Henrietta Moraes on a Blue Couch, 1965, is included in the major York Art Gallery exhibition 'Flesh'. The exhibition on now through to 19 March 2017, explores how artists represent flesh in their work. Human and animal, alive and dead, familiar and strange. Questions will be raised about the body and ageing, race and gender, touch and texture and surface and skin. Bacon's Portrait of Henrietta Moraes on a Blue Couch, and paintings from artists including Peter Paul Rubens, Edgar Degas, Jean-Baptiste Siméon Chardin and Circle of Rembrandt, showcase how the body and flesh have long been the subject of scrutiny by artists. Additionally, contemporary works by internationally acclaimed artists will contrast those paintings. Portrait of Henrietta Moraes on a Blue Couch, 1965, is a work from the Manchester Art Gallery Collection. Henrietta Moraes was a companion of Francis Bacon, who like the artist, frequented The Colony Room Club in Soho, London. The painting was executed from a John Deakin photograph of Moraes. On this piece Bacon experimentally applied paint, sections have smudges of expressive colour, whilst others have thickly applied paint where Bacon utilised large brushes. Bacon is known to have used everyday materials to apply paint, such as his pullover. Find out more about this work on the Manchester Art Gallery website. 'Flesh' is jointly curated with Dr Jo Applin, and will be accompanied by a publication based on new research and a varied events programme including a symposium. The exhibition has been made possible thanks to generous support from The Friends of York Art Gallery; The Henry Moore Foundation; Thomas Dane gallery, London and The University of York, and additional Art Fund support for the events programme. Find out more here. 'Flesh' 23 September 2016 – 19 March 2017 York Art Gallery, UK Word ref: York Art Gallery website and Manchester Art Gallery Website. Please note all details including featured works, display/exhibition dates and hours are subject to change, and tickets are subject to availability and access, for all confirmation please contact York Art Gallery, UK.
