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Jacobus HoubrakenSir Francis Bacon: 18th C. Portrait of Philosopher, Scientist, Author, Statesman1738
1738
About the Item
This is an 18th century copperplate engraved portrait of Sir Francis Bacon, Viscount St. Albans, Lord Chancellor by Jacobus Houbraken in 1738 after a painting by Sir Godfrey Kneller, from "The Heads of Illustrious Persons of Great Britain", published in London in 1748 by John & Paul Knapton. It depicts a bust portrait of Francis Bacon in an ornamental oval which is draped in fabric. He is turned to his right, but he is looking directly at the viewer. He is wearing a dark coat with grey sleeves, a frilly collar and a tall black hat. Below the oval are a cherub holding a scepter, books on the right, a rolled manuscript and a compass for measuring distances on a map on the left.
Francis Bacon (1561-1626) was 1st Viscount St Alban and was also known as Lord Verulam. He was an English philosopher and statesman who served as Attorney General and as Lord Chancellor of England. He was also a scientist, contributing to the development and documentation of the scientific method. He taught and maintained that scientific knowledge can only be based upon inductive reasoning and careful observation of events in nature. The advancement of scientific knowledge could only be achieved by maintaining a sceptical, unbiased and methodical approach to their research. This became known as the Baconian method and establishes Bacon as the father of the scientific method.
Francis Bacon was a proponent of public and institutional libraries. He developed a system for cataloguing books. He was an accomplished author. There is a theory that some or even all of Shakespeare's plays were written by Francis Bacon, although this is not believed to be true by most Shakespeare scholars. Bacon became Elizabeth I of England's official legal advisor, which made him the first recipient of the Queen's counsel designation. After James VI and I became king in 1603, Bacon was knighted, then created Baron Verulam in 1618 and Viscount St Alban in 1621.
Bacon played a leading role in establishing the British colonies in North America, especially in Virginia, the Carolinas and Newfoundland in northeastern Canada. He authored a government report on "The Virginia Colony" in 1609. In 1610 Bacon and his associates received a charter from the king to form the "Tresurer and the Companye of Adventurers and planter of the Cittye of London and Bristoll for the Collonye or plantacon in Newfoundland" leading to the founding of a colony in Newfoundland. Thomas Jefferson wrote "Bacon, Locke and Newton. I consider them as the three greatest men that have ever lived, without any exception, and as having laid the foundation of those superstructures which have been raised in the Physical and Moral sciences".
Bacon died of pneumonia in 1626 at the age of 65. Since he did not have heirs, both of his titles became extinct upon his death.
This striking engraved portrait of Sir Francis Bacon has wide margins, although the right margin is somewhat thinner the the left. There is mild spotting in the margins, most prominently in the lower left corner, which does not involve the engraving. The print is otherwise in excellent condition.
Jacobus Houbraken (1698-1780) was a Dutch engraver who devoted himself almost entirely to portraiture. He produced a published record of the lives of artists from the Dutch Golden Age. In many cases his portraits are the only likenesses left of these people. Houbraken He collaborated with the historian Thomas Birch and artist George Vertue, on the project entitled, "Heads of Illustrious Persons of Great Britain", published in parts in London from 1743 to 1752. From 1752 to 1759 he worked with the historian Jan Wagenaar (1709–1773) on his 21 part "Vaderlandsche Historie", published by Isaac Tirion in Amsterdam.
- Creator:Jacobus Houbraken (1698 - 1780, Dutch)
- Creation Year:1738
- Dimensions:Height: 16 in (40.64 cm)Width: 9.88 in (25.1 cm)
- Medium:
- Period:1730-1739
- Framing:Framing Options Available
- Condition:
- Gallery Location:Alamo, CA
- Reference Number:
Jacobus Houbraken
Jacobus Houbraken was a Dutch engraver and the son of the artist and biographer Arnold Houbraken, whom he assisted in producing a published record of the lives of artists from the Dutch Golden Age. Houbraken was born in Dordrecht and learned the art of engraving from his father. In 1707 he moved to Amsterdam, where for years he helped his father with his magnum opus, his art historical work The Great Theatre of Dutch Painters (1718–21). When his father died, he assisted his mother with the last proofs of the manuscript before publishing. With this project, he started his portraits of Netherlandish celebrities, that are today in many cases the only likenesses left of these people. Houbraken was influenced by studying the works of Cornelis Cort, Jonas Suyderhoef, Gerard Edelinck and the Visschers. He died, aged 81, in Amsterdam.
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