Reading a Photograph: Bill Brandt

Francis Bacon, Primrose Hill, 1963 – Bill Brandt

Who?

This is a photo of painter Francis Bacon, taken by Bill Brandt, known for his innovative approach to the portrait, called by the experts as “master of environmental portrait” (Fetterman, 2024). Brandt intentionally breaks the rules of framing, “breaks all rules of composition” (Fetterman, 2024), which adds to the image a unique character.  In the composition dominated by distance, melancholy, and gloomy atmosphere, “haunted and close to desperate”, eyes seem like “black holes” (Poynor, 2016). Also, noticeable are elements such as “melodrama, artifice, and air of aggrandisement” (Poynor, 2016).

When?

According to Poynor (2016), the photograph was taken in 1963, but its character goes beyond the pop-art era. Dominating mood and atmosphere evoke more “gloomy post-war epoch of existentialism, film noir, the Theatre of the Absurd, Samuel Beckett’s Waiting for Godot, and Angry Young Men” than “jaunty commercial era of Pop Art”.

Why?

As Poynor (2016) explains, the purpose of the photo is not usually to reflect the looks, but an interpretation of the mental condition of the model. Brandt “imposes his own vision”  and creates an image that “reflects a tragic view of existence” and “internalises the horror that viewers saw in his paintings”. Thanks to that, a portrait becomes a dialogue of two strong personalities.

How?

Brandt uses a wide lens showing an effect of “space distorted in depth” (The Guardian, 2022). Consciously break the rules of composition - “breaks all the rules of composition” (The Guardian, 2022) and usage of the light and shadow (high contrast, “low-key photography” (Fuji Film, 2025)). Reinforcing the artistic expression of photography. The results are effects of experimenting in darkroom (V&A, 2025). “Photography is not a sport. It has no rules. Everything must be dared and tried.” (V&A, 2025).

How has your view changed/What do you now understand the image to mean? 

The image is not only a portrait photo. The way that the photo has been taken makes it an existential interpretation in which he  “impose his own vision”, leading to “tragic view of existence” (Poynor, 2016). Used technical solutions enhance feelings of anxiety and hopelessness - influence the reception much more strongly than the topic itself would suggest.

Conclusion

The Brandt’s photography is a great example of how technical experimentation, breaking the rules and conventions, and using low-key photography, an artist can enhance the meaning of the portrait (Fuji Film, 2025; V&A, 2025).

“Photography is not a sport. It has no rules. Everything must be dared and tried.” (V&A, 2025).

References

Fetterman, P. (2024). #822 - Bill Brandt. [online] Peter Fetterman Gallery. Available at: https://www.peterfetterman.com/blog/131-822-bill-brandt-francis-bacon-on-primrose-hill-1963/ (Accessed: 15 Jul. 2025).

Fuji Film Corporation (2025). Mastering High-Key and Low-Key Photography | FUJIFILM X Series & GFX - UK. [online] Fujifilm-x.com. Available at: https://www.fujifilm-x.com/en-gb/learning-centre/mastering-high-key-and-low-key-photography/ (Accessed:15 Jul. 2025).

guardian.com (2022). Bill Brandt: the beautiful and the sinister – in pictures. The Guardian. [online] 18 Apr. Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/gallery/2022/apr/18/bill-brandt-beautiful-sinister-in-pictures (Accessed: 15 Jul. 2025).

Poynor, R. (2016). Exposure: Francis Bacon by Bill Brandt - DesignObserver. [online] DesignObserver. Available at: https://designobserver.com/exposure-francis-bacon-by-bill-brandt/ (Accessed: 15 Jul. 2025).

V&A (2025). Bill Brandt: working methods. [online] Victoria and Albert Museum. Available at: https://www.vam.ac.uk/articles/bill-brandt-working-methods (Accessed: 15 Jul. 2025).