The nature of an artistic object provides the viewer with extensive and open ideas of the subject matter presented. The use of colors, posture and physical appearances of the artistic subject are important aspects that enable the viewer to derive meaning from the painting. This paper will focus on Diego Velazquez's painting, "Portrait of Innocent X," and Francis Bacon's painting, "Study after Velázquez's Portrait of Pope Innocent X," and how they relate to each other. Although there are clear differences between the two pieces of artwork, Bacon's piece seems to be a depiction of an unseen side of the situation displayed in Velazquez's painting. Bacon's painting draws from Velazquez's painting to depict a sense of uncanniness of a human spirit and to symbolize the distinction between the outward appearance of Pope Innocent X and the true nature of his troubled soul.
Velazquez's portrayal of Innocent X is that of a typical portrait of a pope. Velazquez demonstrates Innocent X is sitting on a throne, dressing in a white cassock with a red Papal mozzetta worn over, and acknowledging the viewer. Velazquez illustrates Innocent X as a calm and composed person, on his left hand; he is holding a white paper which he might be using to refer to something as illustrated by his finger in between the paper. Additionally, the use of red and white in his attire illustrate his loyalty as well as his holiness as the Catholic Church leader. On the other hand, Bacon portrait of Innocent X illustrates someone who is troubled, which have been emphasized by the use of colors and physical appearances of the portrait as well as the blurriness of the portrait. Bacon portrait is characterized by a human being who is wearing a white with shades of black cassock with a black Papal mozzetta worn over. On his head, he is wearing a black skull cap which also has some violet shades. Additionally, Bacon's portrait illustrates the Innocent X's hands resting on the chair arms which are similar to Velazquez's posture of Pope Innocent X's hands. Finally, the facial expression of Bacon's portrait illustrate Pope Innocent X mouth wide open, and wide eyes which depict inner soul's troubles.
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Bacon uses distinct contrasts to that style of the portrait to convey a sense of otherworldliness but at the same time the familiarity and similarity of his portrait to Velazquez's show that the two paintings portray the same thing. Velazquez's portrait uses dull yet warming colors to instill a sense of calmness and regales while in Bacon painting; the background darker and the colors are more severe and striking to emphasize a more mythical, hidden setting. Also, the chair that the pope is sitting on is glorious and royal while Bacon's draws the figure sitting on a frame of a chair rather than a concrete throne. The fact that the subject of the Velazquez image has the structure and shape of a human, but does not seem to be quite human, due to indistinguishable facial features and skin complexion, gives the painting a sense of a troubled soul. The facial expressions further suggest that the figure could more likely represent the spirit of the Pope rather than an actual human being. In contradiction to the Velazquez piece where the Innocent X is drawn to be wider as fatter people used to be deemed superior because it meant they were healthier and had the ability to afford more food, the second image displays a skinnier ghostly figure with a complexion that is too pale to be human.
Besides suggesting that Bacon is portraying the Pope's inner soul, the fragility of the figure in the second painting could be interpreted to convey sickness and weakness something that cannot be seen in Velazquez's depiction of Pope Innocent X. Innocent X's amicable, yet serious demeanor projects a composed outside mask. His hands rest comfortably off the armrest to emanate a sense of comfortability and ease. With his mouth wide opened and his hands gripping the ends of the armrest, the Pope's spirit seems to be screaming as in pain or as in shock, and Bacon indicates to the viewer that buried underneath his outward shell, Innocent X conscious is struggling. While comparing the second portrait with the first one, one notices that in the initial portrait, the pope is at ease, relaxed, and focused as opposed to the second image which depicts him as someone suffering from within illustrated by his facial expressions and posture of the hands as well as the colors used in the portrait. For example, in Bacon's portrait, the chair is yellowish with some rays of reflection which indicate movement; the yellow color indicates flames while the motion in the portrait indicates unsettledness and unease of Pope Innocent. Bacon takes some liberties with his interpretation by adding streaks of dark lines that seem to suggest motion in the painting. By the way, the soul is shrieking, the viewer can assume that something is causing it agony. The dark lines are present on the figure's face and throughout its body as if the energy of the soul is being pulled upwards and away from the host. Not only is the spirit in a state of distress, but it also seems to be vanishing. The struggle to maintain the soul is evidenced by the figures firm posture as well as the strong gripping of the armchair with both hands. Importantly the figure illustrates the person's struggle with the inner soul which seems to disturb is general well-being.
Velazquez's portrait details the outer appearance of the pope, one of grandeur, authority, and being a role model. Bacon draws from the earlier painting to comment on his view of Innocent X's true state. In the inside, the pope is pained, frightened, and losing control. Velazquez's portrait depicts a Pope Innocent X as composed from his physical facial appearance and also his direct contact with the viewer at a certain angle, importantly the Pope is settled and humbled. The outward physical appearance of the Pope symbolizes the general appearance of a religious leader, who should be calm, patient, composed and who should be a role model to the church members. On the contrary, Bacon illustrates the pain and struggle that a Pope as a human being can go through.
Conclusively, Velazquez's and Bacon portraits are similar and portraits of Pope Innocent X due to their similarities from the chair they are sitting on to their mode of dressing which indicate some significant similarities. Importantly the two portraits demonstrate the physical and inner well -being of Pope Innocent X. In the first portrait by Velazquez's the pope is in perfect health shown by his ease, calmness, and physical appearance, while in the second portrait by Bacon, the pope's soul is in pain and suffering and he struggles to maintain it. The struggle and pain are demonstrated by his strong gripping of the armchair, firm upright position, and the facial expressions. Lastly, the use of colors with the two portraits has been used to bring about the emotion effect of the two situations.
