The New Figuration (1945-1970) was an artistic movement that arose in the second half of the 20th century. As its name suggests, it marked a return to figurative painting and served as an alternative to Abstract Expressionism and other forms of abstraction that had gained prominence after World War II. Although this movement was primarily characterized by figurative art, it did not entirely distance itself from abstraction, occasionally drawing on its contributions to enrich its works.

The New Figuration was an artistic movement that arose in the second half of the 20th century and it marked a return to figurative painting and served as an alternative to Abstract Expressionism and other forms of abstraction that had gained prominence after World War II

The artists of this movement shared a common focus on the human figure, while exploring expressionism through various elements, including color, space, themes, and gestures. Among the key representatives of the New Figuration is the renowned School of London, which includes notable artists such as Francis Bacon, Lucian Freud, and Frank Auerbach, as well as others like Michael Andrews and Leon Kossoff. This group frequently gathered at the Colony Room, a bar located in London’s Soho.

The artists of this movement shared a common focus on the human figure, while exploring expressionism through various elements, including color, space, themes, and gestures

The term School of London was coined to describe figurative painters working in the English capital—artists who championed and revitalized figurative art. Their works sought to capture attention through disturbing themes and attitudes, primarily focusing on portraiture and landscapes of the areas they traversed daily.

Francis Bacon (Dublin, 1909 – Madrid, 1992) was one of the most significant painters of the 20th century. Known for his disturbing and dark works, he stood out for his vision and representation of the horrors of the human condition. He famously created multiple versions of Velázquez's portrait of Pope Innocent X, producing eight versions where the original model progressively deforms, eventually leading to 40 interpretations.

Bacon concentrated on the human figure and portraiture, engaging with classical themes but through a more tragic lens, expressing the collective and individual horrors of his time. His works often depicted the existential anguish of modern man, portraying humans as victims torn apart, consumed, and rejected by society. Bacon’s art could be seen as an expression of the unsettling, of pain and death, all closely tied to his personal experience and life.

Bacon’s art could be seen as an expression of the unsettling, of pain and death, all closely tied to his personal experience and life.

Lucian Freud (Berlin, 1922 – London, 2011) was another prominent figure of the School of London, though like Bacon, he wasn’t originally from the city. Strongly influenced by German artists such as Otto Dix and George Grosz, Freud's early works emphasized the social isolation of the individuals he depicted. His paintings, often rooted in the bohemian life he observed, may have been influenced by the distortions and elongations found in Bacon’s work. Freud's portrayal of skin often gives the impression of being malleable, like a flexible membrane.

Freud’s paintings present defenseless, vulnerable, and weak bodies—bodies at rest, abandoned. He painted real people, without embellishment: those close to him, friends, and family members.

Frank Auerbach, also born in Berlin (1931) and later emigrating to London, received an artistic education similar to Freud’s. His work is highly expressive, characterized by thick, textured brushstrokes and dark tones, bordering on abstraction. His paintings are intensely gestural, with the space in the composition often revealing the figure. In this way, Auerbach's works resemble Bacon’s in terms of the variation in color and distortion of subjects, although he does not isolate his characters in such a theatrical and dramatic way. By the 1970s, his work became more structured and rigid, though it retained the expressive qualities that defined his earlier style.

His paintings are intensely gestural, with the space in the composition often revealing the figure. In this way, Auerbach's works resemble Bacon’s in terms of the variation in color and distortion of subjects, although he does not isolate his characters in such a theatrical and dramatic way.