Francis Bacon‘s acclaimed painting of his lover and muse George Dyer is expected to sell for $49 million when it hits the auction block on Feb. 13. Entitled “Portrait of George Dyer Talking,” the 6-foot-6-inch artwork is considered one of the most recognized images of Bacon’s longtime love.
Last year, Bacon made headlines when his triptych of Lucian Freud sold for $142 million, setting a new world record. “It is exciting to be able to follow this success by offering this tour-de-force portrait of George Dyer which presents a powerful portrait of arguably one of Bacon’s greatest loves,” Francis Outred, head of post-war and contemporary art at Christie’s, said in a statement.
Though the current seller remains unknown, the famed portrait was previously auctioned in 2000 at Christie’s in New York, raising $6.6 million, a record amount for Bacon at the time.
