George Dyer on a Bicycle (after Francis Bacon)

Title: George Dyer on a Bicycle (after Francis Bacon)
After: Francis Bacon, Portrait of George Dyer Riding a Bicycle (1966)
Medium: Oil and sand on panel
Status: Available

A recreation of Francis Bacon’s portrait of his partner George Dyer riding a bicycle. I mixed sand into the oil paint, and for days the sand kept moving as the oil set. I thought I’d ruined it, but on the fifth or sixth day it settled into a texture I really love. Bacon is one of the greatest painters, in my opinion, and this was a pleasure to copy.