 The figure is clearly identifiable as a pope from his clothing . It seems trapped and isolated within the outlines of an abstract three @-@ dimensional glass cage . This framing device , described by Sylvester as a " space @-@ frame " , was to feature heavily throughout the artist 's career . A cord hangs from the upper edge of the glass case , falling just in front of the pope 's face and partially covering his eyes . It is too indistinctly drawn to identify with certainty , but given the presence of similar objects in Bacon 's later works , may be either the end of a hanging light switch or the tassel of a curtain ; the hanging cord was to become a signature for the artist . Apart from its symbolic meaning , it has a compositional function , framing the painting with a further set of vertical lines . Such an object reappears most prominently in the centre panel of his 1973 Triptych , May – June 1973 , where it is clearly a dangling light bulb . For Bacon , these elements were intended to make the figure waver in and out of sight for the viewer , alluding to the fact that bulbs can be on or off , curtains open or closed . 
 The figure <a href='drop_aux' title='1'><mark>is</mark></a>clearly identifiable as a pope from his clothing . It <a href='uninflect' title='2'><mark>seems</mark></a> trapped and isolated within the outlines of an abstract three @-@ dimensional glass cage . This framing device , described by Sylvester as a " space @-@ frame " , was to feature heavily throughout the artist <a href='null_genetive' title='3'><mark>'s</mark></a>career . A cord <a href='uninflect' title='4'><mark>hangs</mark></a> from the upper edge of the glass case , falling just in front of the pope <a href='null_genetive' title='5'><mark>'s</mark></a>face and partially covering his eyes . It <a href='drop_aux' title='6'><mark>is</mark></a>too indistinctly drawn to identify with certainty , but given the presence of similar objects in Bacon <a href='null_genetive' title='7'><mark>'s</mark></a>later <a href='uninflect' title='8'><mark>works</mark></a> , may be either the end of a hanging light switch or the tassel of a curtain ; the hanging cord was to become a signature for the artist . Apart from its symbolic meaning , it <a href='got' title='9'><mark>has</mark></a> a compositional function , framing the painting with a further set of vertical lines . Such an object <a href='uninflect' title='10'><mark>reappears</mark></a> most prominently in the centre panel of his 1973 Triptych , May – June 1973 , where it <a href='drop_aux' title='11'><mark>is</mark></a>clearly a dangling light bulb . For Bacon , these elements <a href='uninflect' title='12'><mark>were</mark></a> intended to make the figure waver in and out of sight for the viewer , alluding to the fact that bulbs can be on or off , <a href='uninflect' title='13'><mark>curtains</mark></a> open or closed . 
The figure clearly identifiable as a pope from his clothing . It seem trapped and isolated within the outlines of an abstract three @-@ dimensional glass cage . dis framing device , described by Sylvester as a " space @-@ frame " , was to feature heavily throughout the artist  career . A cord hang from the upper edge of the glass case , fallin jus in front of da pope  face and partially covering his eyes . It too indistinctly drawn to identify with certainty , but given tdapresence of similar objects in Bacon  later wrk , may be either the end of a hanging light switch or the tassel of a curtain ; the hanging cord was to become a signature for thdartist . Apart from its symbolic meaning , it got a compositional function , framing the painting with a further set of vertical lines . Such an object reappear most prominently in thedantre panel of his 1973 Triptych , May – June 1973 , where it clearly a dangling light bulb . For Bacon , dese elements was intended to make the figure waver in and out of sight fa the dawer , alluding to the fact that bulbs can b on or off , curtain open or closed .