Tate loses Bacon art works to Paris

A friend of Francis Bacon is cancelling plans to donate an extensive collection of the late artist's work to the Tate.

Barry Joule said the decision follows the institution’s failure to exhibit works donated in 2004, when he gave the Tate around 1,200 sketches, photographs and documents estimated to be worth £20m.

Joule has now started negotiations with the archives of the Centre Pompidou, Paris.

The collection includes up to 150 drawings, 10 paintings, hundreds of photogaphs and more than 12 hours of taped material.

“The Tate and Britain will be missing out on part of the nation’s art history of one of their most important painters. I turn my back on the Tate for ever,” Joule said.