Catherine Shakespeare Lane in conversation with Darren Coffield on Francis Bacon’s ‘Mother’ and proprietor of the Colony Room, Muriel Belcher. Muriel Belcher (1908–1979) was an English nightclub owner who founded and managed the private drinking club, the Colony Room. Muriel was the model and muse for a number of paintings, including several by Francis Bacon. She was also famous for her rudeness, which rubbed off onto the club and became part of its culture.