The Francis Bacon MB Art Foundation takes part in an exhibition at the Marlborough Gallery in London

The Francis Bacon MB Art Foundation is participating in the ‘Face to Face: A Celebration of Portraiture’ exhibition held at the Marlborough Gallery in London until 14 July 2023 by lending two works from the MB Art Collection: a charcoal drawing of Francis Bacon by Maggi Hambling and a photograph of Bacon taken by Richard Avedon in Paris in 1979.

This exhibition coincides with the re-opening of the National Portrait Gallery. Unfolding in thematic sections across two floors, it will explore how artists have pushed the limits of this genre from the early 20^th century to the present day.

Portraits are one of the richest veins of Marlborough’s history as a result of the gallery’s eight-decade long commitment to the figurative tradition, championed by its founders through seminal exhibitions of works by Frank Auerbach, Francis Bacon, Lynn Chadwick, Lucian Freud, Maggi Hambling, Alex Katz, Henry Moore and Celia Paul, among many others. These vanguards of modern figuration will be shown on the ground floor alongside iconic photographic portraits by Berenice Abbott, Richard Avedon, Bill Brandt and Brassaï, paying tribute to the critical role Marlborough played at the forefront of exhibiting photography during the 1970s and 80s.

The display on the second floor will explore contemporary perspectives on portraiture, showcasing works by Roxana Halls, Hugo Hamper-Potts, Natalia Hazell, Alexander James, Lorena Levi, Darren LyndeMann, Christian Quin Newell, Liorah Tchiprout, Georg Wilson, Vicky Wright, Deanio X and Ki Yoong. Exploring themes of identity, intimacy, and status, these works synthesise different elements of the portraiture tradition, not just through figuration but with conceptual, indexical, or object-based modes of representation.