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Notes
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This painting is a portrait of Henrietta Moraes, a companion of Bacon's who, like him, often frequented The Colony Room Club in Soho, London. This work was executed from a photograph of Moraes, taken by John Deakin, a Vogue photographer; it displays Moraes naked and distorted upon a large couch trimmed with flesh-pink, which seems to be engulfing her. Moraes' reclining body is painted in flesh and white tones, the body has a distorted, broken syntax making the figure appear to be exposing her muscular structure. To the right there is an open door with a key in the lock. The strip of colour on the right also suggests a red room beyond. There is a charcoal grey interior, which creates an oppressive atmosphere within the portrait. This was created by applying a thin wash of paint to bare canvas.
Title
Portrait of Henrietta Moraes on a Blue Couch
Date
1965
Medium
oil on canvas
Measurements
H 198 x W 147 cm
Accession number
1979.603
Acquisition method
purchased from Ronald K. Greenberg, 1979
Work type
Painting
Inscription description
Unsigned
Manchester Art Gallery
Manchester Art Gallery, Mosley Street, Manchester, Greater Manchester M2 3JL England
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