 Head VI is closely modelled on Velázquez 's c . 1650 Portrait of Innocent X , today in the Doria Pamphilj Gallery , Rome . Bacon cautiously avoided seeing the original , even when he spent three months in Rome in 1954 . Critics speculate he was afraid of being disappointed , or thought that an intimate knowledge of the painting would dull his imagination . Yet his fascination was all @-@ consuming and he reproduced variants of it obsessively for almost two decades ; an examination and homage described as " without parallel in the history of art " . Bacon 's approach differs to Velázquez 's in a number of ways : both artists were expressive , yet Bacon 's broad brush @-@ strokes and freedom with paint contrast with Velázquez 's tight and controlled treatment . He adapts Velázquez 's positioning of the pope to place him above the viewer 's point of view , elevating and distancing him . This was already a common technique in commercial , promotional photography but in Bacon 's hands , Schmied argues , the angle places the pope on a kind of stage for the viewer to coldly observe . 
 Head VI is closely modelled on Velázquez <a href='null_genetive' title='1'><mark>'s</mark></a>c . 1650 Portrait of Innocent X , today in the Doria Pamphilj Gallery , Rome . Bacon cautiously avoided seeing the original , even when he spent three months in Rome in 1954 . Critics speculate he was afraid of being disappointed , or thought that an intimate knowledge of the painting would dull his imagination . Yet his fascination was all @-@ consuming and he reproduced variants of it obsessively for almost two decades ; an examination and homage described as " without parallel in the history of art " . Bacon <a href='null_genetive' title='2'><mark>'s</mark></a>approach <a href='uninflect' title='3'><mark>differs</mark></a> to Velázquez <a href='null_genetive' title='4'><mark>'s</mark></a>in a number of ways : both artists <a href='uninflect' title='5'><mark>were</mark></a> expressive , yet Bacon <a href='null_genetive' title='6'><mark>'s</mark></a>broad brush @-@ strokes and freedom with paint contrast with Velázquez <a href='null_genetive' title='7'><mark>'s</mark></a>tight and controlled treatment . He <a href='uninflect' title='8'><mark>adapts</mark></a> Velázquez <a href='null_genetive' title='9'><mark>'s</mark></a>positioning of the pope to place him above the viewer <a href='null_genetive' title='10'><mark>'s</mark></a>point of view , elevating and distancing him . This<a href='been_done' title='11'><mark></mark></a> was already a common technique in commercial , promotional photography but in Bacon <a href='null_genetive' title='12'><mark>'s</mark></a>hands , Schmied <a href='uninflect' title='13'><mark>argues</mark></a> , the angle <a href='uninflect' title='14'><mark>places</mark></a> the pope on a kind of stage for the viewer to coldly observe . 
Head VI is closely modelled on Velázquez  c . 1650 Portrait of Innocent X , today in the Doria Pamphilj Gallery , Rome . Bacon cautiously avoided seein the original , even when he spent three months in Rome in 1954 . Critics speculate he was afraid of being disappointed , or thought that an intimate knowledge of the painting would dull his imagination . Yet his fascination was all @-@ consuming and he reproduced variants of it obsessively fir almost two decades ; an examination and homage described as " w/o parallel in da history of art " . Bacon  approach differ to Velázquez  in a number of ways : both artists was expressive , yet Bacon  broad brush @-@ strokes and freedom with paint contrast with Velázquez  tight and controlled treatment . He adapt Velázquez  positioning of the pope to place em above the viewer  point of view , elevating and distancing him . This done was already a common technique in commercial , promotional photography but in Bacon  hands , Schmied argue , the angle place the pope on a kind of stage for the viewer to coldly observe .