The artwork titled “Three Studies of Isabel Rawsthorne (on a green background)” was created by Francis Bacon in 1966. It belongs to the Expressionism art movement and falls under the genre of sketch and study. The artwork consists of three separate but interconnected studies of the same subject, Isabel Rawsthorne, presented against a deep green background.
The artwork is a series of three portraits, each capturing Isabel Rawsthorne from a different angle. The series employs a striking mix of distorted features and surreal, fluid forms. The subject’s face is fragmented and abstracted, creating a sense of dynamism and emotional intensity characteristic of Bacon’s work. The green background contrasts sharply with the red and flesh tones used for the subject, further emphasizing the disarray and visceral texture of the portraits. The interplay of light and shadow, along with the use of bold, sweeping brush strokes, renders an almost sculptural quality to the painted forms, encapsulating the raw, emotive power of the Expressionist genre.
