Sylvester detects the influence of late works by Titian in other aspects , especially in the deep and rich colouring , Velázquez 's portrayals of Philip IV , and agrees with identification of pastels of Edgar Degas as a source . He believes Bacon borrowed from Degas the use of parallel heavy folds to create the illusion of what Degas described as " shuttering " , as seen in the earlier artist 's After the Bath , Woman drying herself . Sylvester makes a further direct link between the folds and the transparent veil in Titian 's Portrait of Cardinal Filippo Archinto . He believes the folds serve to " push the viewer back " , creating a distance from the subject , an effect he sees as similar to the separation between and orchestra and setting ; others view the folds as more closely resembling the bars of a prison . Sylvester describes them as an accentuation of background verticals into stripes that are made to appear as if they pass through the sitter . In his " Interviews with Francis Bacon " series of books , he asked Bacon why he found the effect so poignant . The artist replied , " Well , it means that the sensation doesn 't come straight out at you but slides slowly and gently through the gaps . "