Francis Bacon manages to be still something of an enigma in post-war British art, a genuine figure of legend. Emerging into the scene in the late 1940s and early 1950s, he rapidly came to the notice of international collectors and with his move to the powerhouse gallery Marlborough Fine Art in 1960, the trajectory was assured.

Yet his paintings are very much rooted in the circles and the life he led in London, dealing with the gritty realities of life, love and death. His paintings may have become part of the international collecting portfolio of the mega-rich, but the message they carry is still extremely potent.

The literature on Bacon is extensive, from exhibition catalogues over the past decades to the auction catalogue which which document the trajectory of prices and on to the magisterial catalogue raisonne documenting his entire oeuvre. Look through the selection below to see the range of volumes we have available.