Barry Joule, a longtime friend and helper to Francis Bacon, asserts that in their last meeting, Bacon gifted him a collection of artworks and sketches. This trove includes newspaper cuttings and canvases said to bear the artist’s hand, which Joule believes are important historical documents. Though Joule and Bacon shared a friendship, the legitimacy of these artworks remains highly contested within the art world, raising questions about authenticity and the value of Bacon's late works. Joule is adamant about their provenance, describing them as fundamental to understanding Bacon's legacy.
According to Joule, Bacon, then 82, handed over some bundles that included hundreds of newspaper and magazine cuttings, some of them with added brush strokes and paint splotches.
Joule says Bacon also gave him an album of sketches, with drawings that look like the artist's famous screaming pope paintings, and some canvases in the style of artists like Picasso or Dali.
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