Bacon painting unveiled for first time in 60 years

A Francis Bacon painting which has not been seen publicly for almost 60 years will be auctioned this month, having remained in the same private European collection for four decades.

For Study for Portrait of Lucian Freud, painted in 1964, Bacon used an image of Freud sitting on a bed with his arms outstretched, fists clenched and sleeves rolled up. It was last displayed in 1965 as part of a largescale triptych, in a travelling exhibition to Hamburg and Stockholm.

The painting carries an estimate in excess of £35million. It will go on sale at Sotheby’s “British Art: The Jubilee Auction”, with the live-streamed auction beginning at 5pm on June 29.