ABSTRACT
In 1975 the Metropolitan Museum in New York put on a show of Francis Bacon’s work which deeply divided opinion in America. That a controversial living artist was presented in such a prestigious institution meant that Bacon became the focus of increased attention throughout the international art world. Bacon's dealers were working strategically behind the scenes to promote the work to full advantage; he was by one of the most famous living artists, and this fact was amply reflected in the mounting prices his pictures commanded. Given the conflicts inherent in the artist–dealer relationship, Bacon and his gallery maintained a generally cordial and mutually fruitful association. The Metropolitan's press release said that Bacon was 'considered by many to be the most important and original artist of post-war Europe'. The power of Bacon on Bacon grew to such a degree that it became axiomatic that the artist himself was the greatest, if not the sole, authority on his work.
