Lying Figure

Lying Figure is a 1968 oil-on-canvas by English artist Francis Bacon, exemplifying his signature approach to conveying raw emotion and existential angst. This Expressionism-inspired work depicts the reclining figure of Henrietta Moraes, a close friend, captured in a vulnerable, almost haunting pose on a bed. As part of Bacon's broader series of collapsed figures on beds—a motif originating with his 1963 triptych Lying Figure—this second version is regarded as more successful, highlighting the sense of dislocation and despair intrinsic to genre painting. The painting's unsettling imagery invites viewers into a visceral exploration of human fragility.