Ever since its first publication, this book - with its subsequent revised and augmented editions - has been considered a classic of its kind, and that reputation has become worldwide. As a discussion of problems of making art today it has been widely influential not only among artists but among writers and musicians. It has also been seen as the most revealing portrait that exists of one of the most singular artistic personalities of our time. Bacon's obsessive thinking about how to remake the human form in pain finds unique expression in his encounters with the distinguished art writer David Sylvester over a period of twenty-five years. In these masterfully and creatively reconstructed interviews, Sylvester has provided unparalleled access to the thought, work, and life of one of the creative geniuses of our century. With Bacon's recent death, no other work will ever match this achievement.

关于培根

弗朗西斯•培根（Francis Bacon, 1909—1992），英国画家，出生于爱尔兰。其作品以粗犷、犀利、如噩梦般的图像著称。因其扭曲、变形和模糊的人物画，他成为战后最有争议的画家之一。培根用独具特色的肖像作品，不仅把艺术拉回以人为中心的人文关怀，也使绘画重新受到当代重视。他被视为20世纪最重

要的几位艺术家之一。

关于作者

大卫•西尔维斯特（David Sylvester, 1924—2001），英国著名艺术评论家、策展人。欧美艺术界最有影响力的人士之一。