Heath Ledger’s Joker was based on a Francis Bacon painting, says Christopher Nolan

‘I showed the image to Heath Ledger while he was preparing to play the Joker in the Dark Knight, and he instantly sparked to its tortured and torturing humanity,’ says Christopher Nolan. Photograph: Warner Bros./Allstar

Heath Ledger’s portrayal of the Joker was based on one of Francis Bacon’s triptychs, the Oscar-winning director Christopher Nolan has revealed ahead of a new exhibition of Bacon’s work.

Nolan is one of several leading creative figures who have spoken of Bacon’s influence on their life and practice to mark the opening on Thursday of the National Portrait Gallery exhibition, Francis Bacon: Human Presence.