Printed by

Arts Litho, Paris

Published by

Éditions de la Différence, Paris

Dimensions

44.8 × 32.7 cm (17⅝ × 12⅞ in.)

Literature

Alexandre Tacou, No. 36.

Bruno Sabatier, Francis Bacon: The Graphic Work, No. 28.

Miguel Orozco, The Complete Prints of Francis Bacon, No. 77, p.294.

Provenance

The Agathe Sorel and Gabor Sitkey Print Collection.

Condition

In very good condition.

Catalogue Note

Published in 1981, Logique de la sensation is one of the most intellectually significant prints in Francis Bacon's graphic oeuvre. Created as the frontispiece for philosopher Gilles Deleuze's landmark study Francis Bacon: Logique de la sensation, the lithograph reproduces Bacon's Study from the Human Body and represents a unique meeting of two of the twentieth century's most influential creative minds.

Rather than producing a conventional work of art criticism, Deleuze used Bacon's paintings to develop an entirely new philosophy of sensation. Rejecting the idea that painting should merely represent the visible world, he argued that Bacon's art communicates directly through the nervous system, bypassing narrative and symbolism to evoke raw physical and emotional experience. The present lithograph therefore occupies an exceptional position, serving simultaneously as an original graphic work and as the visual embodiment of one of the most important philosophical texts on modern art.

The image depicts the human figure viewed from behind, its muscular form isolated within Bacon's characteristic architectural framework. Throughout his career, Bacon repeatedly returned to this motif, exploring the body as a site of vulnerability, tension and psychological intensity. The composition derives from Study from the Human Body (1981), itself connected to earlier explorations of the same pose dating back to the artist's abandoned preparations for Triptych – Studies from the Human Body (1970). The dramatic rear view, intersected by mirrors, doors and architectural structures, reflects Bacon's continuing fascination with the relationship between physical space and emotional experience.

Several motifs found within the composition held particular significance for Bacon. The doorway and threshold suggest both confinement and transition, while the prominent light switch recalls a recurring symbol within his paintings. Bacon himself associated keys and switches with the late works of Pablo Picasso, where they functioned as psychologically charged forms that could imply both revelation and concealment. The motif also echoes the naked light bulb that illuminated Bacon's famously chaotic Reece Mews studio, becoming one of the defining symbols of his mature work.

Printed by Arts Litho, Paris and published by Éditions de la Différence in a carefully controlled edition, this lithograph demonstrates the exceptional quality achieved in Bacon's graphic works. The rich colour, subtle tonal transitions and painterly handling successfully preserve the visceral intensity of the original painting while giving the image an independent presence as a work of art.

The present impression is further distinguished by its provenance from the renowned Agathe Sorel and Gabor Sitkey Print Collection, adding another layer of importance to a work that stands among the most intellectually and artistically significant editions in Francis Bacon's printed oeuvre.