"Francis Bacon's dedication to the medium of painting was the direct result of his multifaceted relationship with the art of Pablo Picasso. After viewing an exhibition on Picasso in 1927 at the Calerie Paul Rosenberg in Paris, Bacon developed an obsession with Picasso's art that would continually manifest itself in his own oeuvre." "This groundbreaking study examines Picasso's versatile influence on the work of Bacon through four common themes: the crucifixion, the embrace, the the sereum, and the studio self-portrait. The volume's stunning side-by-side presentation of the two artists' compositions which assembles and assesses material from prestigious international collections and from Bacon's previously unpublished archives dedicated to Picasso - demonstrates the English painter's often dramatic appropriation of Picasso's work into his own art."--BOOK JACKET.