ATTRIBUTED: Francis Bacon show opening in the Club Lounge in October 2024
In 1978, at a party in Rome, the artist Francis Bacon met Cristiano Ravarino, leading to a friendship and occasional romantic relationship that lasted until Bacon’s death in 1992. During this period Ravarino claims Bacon gave him various drawings, pastels, and sketches, both out of generosity and to circumvent his controlling gallery. The Ravarino Collection, which includes small pencil sketches and large mixed-media collages, revisits Bacon’s classic themes such as Popes, crucifixions, and distorted faces. While the collection has been exhibited globally, it remains controversial, with debates about the authenticity of the works. The collection has been declared genuine in a Bologna court case and has been supported by Italian art critics and the British art historian Edward Lucie-Smith, but it has never been authenticated by the Bacon estate or the author of the official Bacon catalogue.
We are proud to present this provocative collection at Century, inviting you to explore and draw your own conclusions about these compelling works attributed to Francis Bacon.
This show will open on the 17th October 2024. To register interest in attending the private view please email the curators here.
