PICASSO – BACON What It Feels Like to Be Human

This major exhibition brings together Pablo Picasso and Francis Bacon, two of the 20th century’s most important figurative painters.

Inspired by Picasso, Bacon spent his career competing with him, seeking to become a chronicler of the human condition for the second half of the century. Both artists placed the human figure at the center of their work, distorting and reinventing it to express pain, desire and vulnerability.

Crucifixions, screams, bullfights, nudes and other themes explore the drama of human existence through their intense and often brutal visions. While Picasso was not influenced by Bacon, he closely followed his work and career.

Around 70 major works, drawn from international museums and private collections, reveal the connections between their artistic worlds and Picasso’s influence on later generations.

Francis Bacon | Self-Portrait, 1972 | Private Collection © The Estate of Francis Bacon /All rights reserved / Bildrecht, Vienna and DACS, London 2026