A FRIEND of artist Francis Bacon, who had a Bacon archive once valued at £20 million returned by The Tate last month over fears it is fake, has hit out at the gallery.
Barry Joule claims an archive of hundreds of sketches and clippings were given to him by his former friend Bacon just before the artist’s death in 1992. Joule donated the archive to the Tate in 2003, but the gallery struggled to verify it, saying last month it had “credible doubts” over its veracity. The Francis Bacon estate has also queried the items.
