Francis Bacon
[Artist, b. 1909, Dublin, Ireland, d. 1992, Madrid, Spain.]
Jesus would have been one of the best photographers that ever existed. He was always looking at the beauty of people’s souls.
I have always been very interested in photography. I have looked at far more photographs than I have paintings. Because their reality is stronger than reality itself.
I’ve had photographs taken for portraits because I very much prefer working from the photographs than from [friends posing]. It’s true to say I couldn’t attempt to do a portrait from photographs of somebody I didn’t know. But, if I both know them and have photographs of them, I find it easier to work than actually having their presence in the room. I think that, if I have the presence of the image there, I am not able to drift so freely as I am able to through the photographic image.
One thing which has never been really worked out is how photography has completely altered figurative painting. I think Velasquez believed he was recording the court at that time and certain people at that time. But a really good artist today would be forced to make a game of the same situations. He knows that particular things could be recorded on film; so this side of his activity has been taken over by something else.