John Deakin

Photographer, Visual Artist

1912 – 1972

 Credit ยป
69

Who was John Deakin?

John Deakin was an English photographer, best known for his work centered around members of Francis Bacon's Soho inner circle. Bacon based a number of famous paintings on photographs he commissioned from Deakin, including Portrait of Henrietta Moraes, Henrietta Moraes on a Bed and Three Studies of Lucian Freud. Deakin also spent many years in Paris and Rome, photographing street scenes, but his only stable period of employment as a photographer were two stints of working for Vogue between 1947 and 1954. Deakin initially aspired to be a painter, and as his photographic career waned, Deakin devoted his time to painting in the 1960s, questioning the validity and status of photography as an art form. He showed little interest in curating and publicising his own work, so many of his photographs were lost, destroyed or damaged over time.

A chronic alcoholic, Deakin died in obscurity and poverty, but since the 1980s his reputation has grown through monographs, exhibitions and catalogues.

We need you!

Help us build the largest biographies collection on the web!

Born
May 8, 1912
Bebington
Profession
Education
  • West Kirby Grammar School
Died
May 25, 1972

Submitted
on July 23, 2013

Citation

Use the citation below to add to a bibliography:

Style:MLAChicagoAPA

"John Deakin." Biographies.net. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 28 Mar. 2024. <https://www.biographies.net/people/en/john_deakin>.

Discuss this John Deakin biography with the community:

0 Comments

    Browse Biographies.net