FRANCIS BACON
A Masterpiece from the Collection of S.I. NewhousePublisher: Christie’s Inc., November 2018
Candace Wetmore, Editor
Kent Albin, Design
Martin Harrison, Text
Archival Text by John Russell
The Painting.
From the collection of Si Newhouse, Francis Bacon’s Study for Henrieta Moraes Laughing achieved $21,687,500 against an estimate of $14,000,000–16,000,000.
The Book.
Francis Bacon: A Masterpiece from the Collection of S.I. Newhouse was published to coincide with the sale of Bacon’s intimate portrait, Study of Henrietta Moares Laughing, at Christie’s in November 2018. Coming from the renowned collection of Condé Nast publishing magnate, Si Newhouse, this is the first in a series of three branded volumes that memorialize the legacy of this highly regarded collection. A commissioned essay by prominent Bacon scholar and author of the artist’s catalogue raisonné, Martin Harrison, serves as the anchor for the book, accompanied by an archival text by the late John Russell. Evoking the volumes of artist monographs found in Newhouse’s personal library, this elegant publication serves as the foundation for the series.
“Study of Henrietta Moraes Laughing seizes our attention, like a person whose arrival lights up a room. We become immersed in it, gazing at a painting that, irrespective of the mysteriously, equivocally closed eyes, confronts us just as intently.”
— Martin Harrison