Controversial artist honoured with new stamps

An Post is to honour one of the world’s most prized artists in a new collection.

A new 55 cent stamp marking the birth of Francis Bacon in Dublin in 1909 features a self-portrait from 1969, reproduced courtesy of the artist’s estate.

A second 82 cent stamp shows a photograph of his London studio.

Bacon lived in Ireland until the age of 16 before leaving for London, Berlin and Paris. Inspired by Picasso his breakthrough came in 1944 with his ’Three studies for Figures at the Base of the Crucifixion’.

His work was often considered controversial but always highly collectable. In May 2008 Russian billionaire owner of Chelsea Football Club Roman Abramovich paid £86.3m (€95.7m) for Bacon’s work ’Triptych’.

The artist’s London studio was donated to the Hugh Lane gallery in Dublin and has been recreated there in a permanent display.

The stamps, created by Q Design, are available from main Post Offices and through www.irishstamps.ie.