Francis Bacon painting may sell for up to €10m

A FRANCIS Bacon painting which once hung in the drawing room of Luggala in Co Wicklow is to go for auction at Christie's in London tomorrow and is expected to fetch €7 million to €10 million.

The Portrait of Henrietta Moraeswas bought by Guinness heir Garech Browne for his home at Luggala in 1970 and at one stage was the only Bacon painting in Ireland, even though the artist was born in Dublin.

Browne (69), the founder of Claddagh Records and a long-time patron of the arts, was friends with both Bacon and Moraes.

He met Bacon through the artist Lucian Freud. Freud was married to Mr Browne's cousin Caroline Blackwood. Their friendship was strengthened through membership of London's infamous bohemian Colony Club, which is shortly to close down.

Moraes was a famous 1960s model and socialite who was one of Bacon's favourite subjects and the painting, to be sold on Sunday, is one of his first portraits of her.

She was also regularly painted by Freud. Moraes was an alcoholic and addict, and was jailed at one time. She sobered up in later years and lived for several years as the caretaker of Roundwood House, Co Wicklow.

The painting is signed on the back by Moraes, who writes: "For the first time A vision of me by my friend Francis Bacon with Gareth at Luggala 30-6-767 I love y 2 good heavens Henrietta Moraes."

Mr Browne helped secure the Francis Bacon studio for the Hugh Lane Municipal Gallery of Modern Art in Dublin through his friendship with Bacon's former lover John Edwards, who inherited the Bacon estate.

Mr Browne also lent the painting to the gallery. "It was the Edwards family who promised me, with the support of the Bacon Foundation, to donate something to Ireland. This was the most extraordinary gift that this State has received recently," he said.

Mr Browne said the painting is too valuable to insure and keep at his estate, but he is hopeful that a buyer will lend it to an Irish institution to go on exhibition.

"To my mind, Francis Bacon is, along with Lucian Freud, the greatest artist of the second half of the 20th century.

"Contrary to what people think, Bacon did not hate Ireland. This painting means so much to me and to other people and I would like to see it kept in Ireland in some form," he said.

The painting was admired by many of the hundreds of artists who have visited Luggala.

The film director John Boorman said: "For more than 30 years Henrietta Moraes has looked down from her Bacon portrait on the walls of Luggala and witnessed the parade of poets (including after her death, her former husband Dom Moraes), scoundrels and musicians that have enjoyed Garech Browne's favour. We will miss her."

The poet Seamus Heaney said: "Garech a Brún has played host to generations of writers, artists and musicians in his home at Luggala, and it was in that magical setting, half way between bohemia and Parnassus, that I met the distinguished Indian poet, Dom Moraes, one of the first contemporary poets I had read."

Interest in Bacon's work has never been greater among the art-collectors.

A record price for a Bacon of $55.465 million (€41.2 million) was paid by Russian billionaire and Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich in May for the Triptych 1976.