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Francis Bacon: Crockford's black pocket diary 197

Francis Bacon: Crockford's black pocket diary 1971 recording the death of George Dyer. Five entries in his hand, the last two in blue ink; Sunday 24th October: "George died in Paris": and Monday 8th November: "George buried City of London Cemetery Ilford.": George Dyer was Bacon's lover from about 1964 and was painted many times by Bacon, both while he was alive and after Dyer's death. He played an important part in Bacon's life although they had become less close sometime before Dyer's death. They travelled together for the opening of Bacon's Exhibition in Paris and stayed at the Hotel Des Saints-Peres close to the Boulevard Saint-Germain, which was a favourite of Bacon's. He was preoccupied with arrangements for the Exhibition and clearly did not feel able to support Dyer whose behaviour through drink and drugs was an extreme embarrassment. George Dyer committed suicide in the hotel room with sleeping pills lying all over the floor, and the room in chaos. Initially the death was described as accidental to protect Dyer's family and presumably to avoid an adverse public reaction in relation to the Exhibition, which was a great success. Bacon carried a feeling of guilt over Dyer's death as he felt he could have prevented it by devoting more time to him in Paris and that feeling remained with him for the rest of his life.
Provenance: The Robertson Collection