Three Studies for Figures at the Base of a Crucifixion, 1944

Three Studies for Figures at the Base of a Crucifixion is a 1944 triptych painted by the Irish-born British artist Francis Bacon. The canvasses are based on the Eumenides —or Furies—of Aeschylus's Oresteia and depict three writhing anthropomorphic creatures set against a flat burnt orange background. It was executed in oil paint and pastel on Sundeala fiber board and completed within two weeks. The triptych summarizes themes explored in Bacon's previous work, including his examination of Picasso's biomorphs and his interpretations of the Crucifixion and the Greek Furies. Bacon did not realize his original intention to paint a large crucifixion scene and place the figures at the foot of the cross.