When Bacon undertook the series late in 1948 he was something of a two @-@ hit wonder . He had success in 1944 with Three Studies for Figures at the Base of a Crucifixion and to a lesser extent with Painting ( 1946 ) , both of which were highly regarded but viewed as sensationalist . The exhibition was a success , and marked his critical breakthrough . Until then , he had been highly regarded but capable of only occasional brilliance . The full show established him in the minds of critics as , according to Michael Peppiatt , " more of a force to be reckoned with in the contemporary scene " . While some found his images horrifying and unnerving , they wrote about him all the same , sealing his reputation as the enfant terrible of post @-@ war British art . The critic for The Observer wrote , " The recent paintings ... horrifying as they are , cannot be ignored . Technically they are superb , and the masterly handling of large areas of pearly grey , flushed with a sudden pink or green , only makes me regret the more that the artist 's gift should have been brought to subjects so esoteric " .