Love Is the Devil: Study for a Portrait of Francis Bacon 1998

Break-in leads to an improbable proposition

George Dyer is caught breaking into Francis Bacon's apartment studio. Rather than calling the police, Bacon makes a bold proposition: if Dyer agrees to sleep with him, he can take whatever he wants tomorrow. Dyer accepts, and they sleep together, sparking an enduring relationship.

A new union into Bacon's world

After their first night together, Bacon begins introducing Dyer to his social circle and to the art world where he is an established figure. Dyer becomes immersed in the scene and starts to see the dynamics of Bacon's artistic life. Their bond deepens as he is drawn into the circle.

Pub nights and artistic conversations

Bacon takes Dyer to the pub scene, where Dyer begins to take an interest in Bacon's art and the discussions about its primitive, brutal qualities. He observes the way Bacon's friends talk about the work and starts forming his own impressions. The couple navigates social life within this creative milieu.

Living together and open relationship dynamics

As they begin living together, Bacon embraces a free-agent stance and maintains an open relationship, occasionally meeting others in clubs or at gambling spots. Dyer learns of these flings and, while he tries to accept them, he takes it badly. The arrangement sows undercurrents of tension in their partnership.

Jealousy drives drastic actions

Dyer's jealousy pushes him to drastic measures: he stashes drugs in Bacon's apartment and calls the police to report them. This act heightens the strain between them and signals forthcoming turmoil. The tension escalates as suspicion and resentment mount.

Bacon's arrest marks a turning point

Bacon is arrested, initially treated as a formality. The arrest underscores the fragility of their relationship and how the earlier acts have reverberated through their lives. The couple's dynamic grows more unstable as legal issues loom.

New York trip and a crisis on the rooftop

The couple travels to New York, where Dyer stages a suicide threat from a hotel rooftop. Bacon talks him down, offering support and stability. He also gives Dyer a generous gift—a 20,000-dollar check—and hints at taking him to Paris.

Deciding on Paris and Dyer's worsening drinking

Back from New York, Bacon and Dyer decide to go to Paris together. Dyer's drinking problems intensify, and he complains about Bacon to friends, with occasional run-ins with the police. The relationship remains strained as the couple plans a move abroad.

Paris arrival and artistic focus amid turmoil

In Paris, Bacon strives to keep his artistic projects moving forward, even as his fame grows. He and Dyer navigate the pressures of public interest and private tension, with Dyer's behavior increasingly destabilizing the dynamic. Bacon's attention remains split between work and the fraught relationship.

Delirium tremens and a life at risk

Dyer's drinking escalates to delirium tremens, a severe dive into dysfunction that culminates in a dangerous overdose attempt. The episode compounds the emotional strain on Bacon while he tries to keep his work progressing. The couple's trajectory becomes perilously unbalanced.

Dyer's death in Paris

Dyer ultimately succumbs to the drugs, dying in the Paris apartment. Bacon is left alone, grappling with the loss and reflecting on what life was like with Dyer by his side. The end of the relationship marks a solitary turn in Bacon's life.