It was originally intended to depict a chimpanzee in long grass (parts of which may be still visible); Bacon then attempted to paint a bird of prey landing in a field.

Brausen wrote to Bacon several times and visited his studio in the early Autumn of 1946, promptly buying the work for £200.

Within a fortnight of the sale of Painting 1946 to the Hanover gallery, Bacon had used the proceeds to decamp from London to Monte Carlo.

After staying at a succession of hotels and flats, including the Hôtel de Ré, Bacon settled in a large villa, La Frontalière, in the hills above the town.

In 2007 Artist Damien Hirst, a large fan of Bacon's, modeled his vitrine installation School: The Archaeology of Lost Desires, Comprehending Infinity and the Search for Knowledge after Painting 1946, featuring sides of beef, birds, a chair and an umbrella all within the vitrine.