In 1949 Francis Bacon found his subject the human body and from then on it remained his principal theme. But he did not paint from life. Instead he appropriated images from the mass media that he manipulated into his studies. This book presents over 200 of the working documents about which Bacon was entirely secretive but which, it emerges, were integral to his creative process. Culled from thousands of pieces of original material found in his studio, including newspapers, magazines, books and photographs, these items have each been exhaustively and minutely researched, providing for the first time comprehensive details of the artists sources. Previously unseen, these visually thrilling documents demonstrate Bacons tactile, visceral relationship with his sources, and his unerring eye for seeking out visual stimulation in the most unexpected places. This unique selection of material from Bacons studio thoroughly researched, meticulously documented and compellingly presented will provide an invaluable insight into both the artists work and his working methods.