Francis Bacon: A Brush With Violence, BBC2, 21.00-22.20hrs, 28 Jan '17

[Stanley Stewart]

A beacon for a thin night in Saturday evening's TV schedule; a documentary exploring the public and personal identities of Francis Bacon with interviews from fellow artists and some of the people who new him best. In particular, I was intrigued by an article in last weekend's press which discussed Bacon's long time relationship with his nanny, Jessie Lightfoot, who cared for him as a child in Ireland. The art historian, Sir John Richardson, got to know Bacon after WW2 while living with his mother, opposite the artist's home in Kensington. "I would go there often. There was a lot of incredibly strong cocktails, so you got plastered pretty quick. Nanny would appear and say, 'Would anybody like something to smoke?' And this didn't mean Player's cigarettes.

'She was totally blind. How on earth she cooked, and how she knew what she was doing, I don't know. She organised the gambling parties he gave.' Lightfoot also placed adverts in local shops asking for "a gentleman's gentleman" - a euphemism for young lovers for the gay Bacon. Nanny Lightfoot then went with Bacon to live in the south of France but died in 1951. "Francis was heartbroken." Bacon's relationships with the 'straight' Terence Stamp, Lionel Blair and Marianne Faithfull are also included.

Later on, BBC2, 01.00-02.25hrs, there is a screening of "Love Is The Devil" (1998) with Derek Jacobi as Bacon and a young Daniel Craig as a thief who becomes his model and lover. I already have an off-air DVD; I seem to recall a stylish wit somewhat beset by a contrived effort to suggest the paintings but Jacobi is brilliant.

[Richard Barrett]

That sounds really interesting, Stanley, thanks for the hint. The film though is fatally weakened IMO by not being able to show the paintings.

[Stanley Stewart]

An unexpected surprise watching Francis Bacon, a Brush With Violence, when it became evident that the production team had decided to dispense with the norm, using a presenter to walk the streets in various locations and replace this with rapid, tight close-ups of seated commentators. A caption to identify each contributor which allowed the narrative to concentrate on the artist's paintings. Fundamentally, it was rather a sad story but I giggled when I realised that Mary Whitehouse and her Festival of Light clique would have made a beeline for BBC TV Centre, Wood Lane, W12, demanding to see the DG, if the film had been shown in the 60s! I had scant knowledge of the gay clubs of Soho or South Kensington but remember that socialising was a bit dreary as the main preoccupation focussed on eye contact with potential mates for the night. Much preferred to use my budget for LPs, or, say, novels by Genet, James Baldwin or Mary Renault for a sense of style or wit. I'll certainly want to see the film again for its powerful visual impact and a further learning curve on human nature.