Instadeath: Study after Velazquez's Portrait of Pope Innocent X
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Instadeath
Study after Velazquez's Portrait of Pope Innocent X
Curated by Alex McDonald
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| Francis Bacon, Study after Velazquez's Portrait of Pope Innocent X, 1953 |
*Curator’s Note: The paintings within this collection were taken by the author to be artwork for the album covers of a fictional metal band called Instadeath. The following is a press release from the Pope concerning Instadeath’s latest album Vile Popery.
I have yet another
condemnation to make today. It has come to my attention that forces within the
music industry have spoken out against the Papacy. Therefore, it is my sacred
duty to warn all Catholics to avoid a band called Instadeath. They are blasphemous
Satan worshipers who will burn in Hell for their heathen lifestyle, and you
will meet them there if you hazard a bite of their tainted fruit.
Their latest record,
entitled Vile Popery, portrays the
Holy Roman Catholic Church as a power hungry entity who pleasures themselves by
exerting control over its followers. Instadeath then goes on to say the only
true salvation comes from offering a blood sacrifice to the Dark Lord.
Catholics should not have to stomach these filthy lies being hurdled at them over
the radio.
To cap it all off,
Instadeath mocks the holy office of the pope with the use of Francis Bacon’s Study after Velazquez’s Portrait of Pope
Innocent X. Just look at this piece (but not for too long as it may cause
instant damnation)! It is a perversion of Velazquez’s Pope Innocent X. Bacon has portrayed one of our holy fathers as maniacal.
The faithful can tell by that devilish scream upon his face. Then the rays of
light emitting from his chair obscure his figure and expression. This speaks to
the Pope’s distance between himself and the viewer. And what does the Pope do
in reply to this distance? He laughs.
Focus on the throne. All
light emits from it, representing the power of the Pope’s office. Too bad Bacon
looks upon this power as a corrupting and dehumanizing force. Innocent does not
even have legs. They are gone, making the Pope ghostly (and dare I say
demonic?!). Though at the same time, Innocent seems trapped behind the rays of
light and the stage set up by the yellow lines emitting from his chair. So as
powerful as he seems, the Pope does not actually have any sway over your life.
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