“I work as near to my instinct as I possibly can. It’s all I can do.”

Listen to an excerpt from a series of conversations, titled The Dead Elephant Interviews, that Bacon had with his close friend, the American artist Peter Beard, in 1972.

The pair formed a close bond over their shared creative interests, including their fascination with animals, with both men often becoming the subject of the other’s work.

Read more about Bacon and Beard’s friendship and how animals influenced their work.

The image shown is a collage from an artwork by Peter Beard including photographs taken by Beard inside Bacon’s studio.