Bacon's sculpture of Father Thames in Coade stone, in the grounds of Ham House

John Bacon RA (24 November 1740 – 7 August 1799) was a British sculptor who worked in the late 18th century. Bacon has been reckoned the founder of the British School of sculpture. He won numerous awards, held the esteem of George III, and examples of his works adorn St Paul's Cathedral and Westminster Abbey in London, Christ Church, Oxford, Pembroke College, Oxford, Bath Abbey and Bristol Cathedral.

Biography

John Bacon was born in Southwark on 24 November 1740, the son of Thomas Bacon, a clothworker whose family had formerly held a considerable estate in Somersetshire.[1][2] At the age of fourteen, John was apprenticed to Mr Crispe's porcelain manufactory at Lambeth, where he was at first employed in painting small ornamental pieces of china.[1] He was swiftly promoted to modeller and used the additional income to support his parents, then in straitened circumstances.[1] Observing the models sent by different eminent sculptors to be fired at the adjoining pottery kiln determined the direction of his genius:[1] he began imitating them with such proficiency that a small figure of Peace[1] sent by him to the Society for the Encouragement of the Arts won a prize.[1] Subsequently, its highest awards were given to him nine times between 1763 and 1776.[1] During his apprenticeship, he also improved the method of working statues in stoneware, an art which he afterwards carried to perfection.[1]

Bacon first attempted working in marble around 1763,[1] when he resided in George Yard on Oxford Road near Soho Square. He exhibited a medallion of George III and a group of Bacchanalians that year and a bas relief of the Good Samaritan the next.[3] During this period, he was led to improve the method of transferring the form of the model to the marble ("getting out the points") by the invention of a more perfect instrument for the purpose. This instrument possessed many advantages: it was more exact, took a correct measurement in every direction, was contained in a small compass, and could be used on either the model or the marble.[1]

By 1769, Bacon was working for Eleanor Coade's Artificial Stone Manufactory.[3] The same year he was awarded the first gold medal for sculpture awarded by the Royal Academy for a bas-relief representing the escape of Aeneas and Anchises from Troy.[1] In 1770, he exhibited a figure of Mars,[1] redone in marble the next year for Charles Pelhalm,[3] which gained him the gold medal from the Society of Arts and his election as an associate of the Royal Academy (ARA).[1] In 1771, Eleanor Coade appointed him works supervisor at her manufactory: he directed both model-making and design there until his death. In 1774, he was gifted with a new establishment at 17 Newman St. by a Mr Johnson who was a great admirer of his work.[3] He executed a bust of George III for Christ Church, Oxford, and retained that king's favour throughout his life.[1] Jealous competitors criticised him for ignorance of classic Greek sculpture, a charge he refuted with a bust of Jupiter Tonans.[4] In 1795, he completed a statue of John Howard for St Paul's Cathedral.[2] That statue was the first to be erected on the floor of the cathedral, ending a century-long prohibition on monuments in the body of that church.[5] Bacon was considered the most successful public sculptor in England at the time and the church authorities awarded him the commissions for the next two statues erected in the cathedral, that of Samuel Johnson in 1795 and of the judge Sir William Jones in 1799.[5]

On 4 August 1799 Bacon suddenly developed an "inflammation" and died a little more than two days later[4] on the 7th.[3] He was buried in Whitefield's Tabernacle in London.[1][n 1] His estate was valued at £60,000, which was divided equally among his children.[6] His widow was his second wife; he left a family composed of six sons and three daughters.[4] His sons Thomas Bacon and John Bacon Jr. continued his work, and one of his daughters married the artist Mr Thornton.[3] His memoirs were edited by Rev. Cecil and published in 1801.[7]

Legacy

Bacon has been reckoned the founder of the British School of sculpture,[4] although he himself considered Roubiliac's statue of Eloquence for Waterloo Bridge to be such a fine piece of sculpture that he was sure he could never equal it.[3] He won numerous awards, held the esteem of George III, and continued to be praised in the 19th[4] and 20th centuries.[1] His works adorn St Paul's Cathedral and Westminster Abbey in London, Christ Church, Oxford, Pembroke College, Oxford, Bath Abbey and Bristol Cathedral.[1]

Selected public works

1770-1779

Image Title / subject Location and
coordinates		 Date TypeMaterialDimensions DesignationWikidata Notes
George Montagu-Dunk, 2nd Earl of Halifax Westminster Abbey, London 1771 Bust with sculpture groupMarble [2][8]
Memorial to Thomas Gray Westminster Abbey, London 1771 Sculpture with medallion portraitMarble [2][9]
George III Windsor Castle 1775 BustMarble [10]
Aesculapius Guy's Hospital, London c. 1774 Statue in nicheStone Q96801491 [11]
Hygieia Guy's Hospital, London c. 1774 Statue in nicheStone [12]

More images		 Old Father Thames Forecourt of Ham House 1775 Statue on plinth and stepsCoade stone Grade IIQ26487358 [13]

More images		 Bernard Brocas of Beaureparie (1730-1777) St James' Church, Bramley, Hampshire After 1777 Sculpture group on tomb chestMarble Grade I [14][15]

More images		 William Pitt, 1st Earl of Chatham Westminster Abbey, London 1778 Monumental sculpture groupMarble [2][16][17]

More images		 Monument to Thomas Guy Guy's Hospital Chapel, London 1779 Sculpture group on pedestalMarble

More images		 George III with the River Thames Somerset House, London 1779 Sculpture groups on pedestalBronze and stone Grade IQ17527239 [18][19][20]

1780-1789

Image Title / subject Location and
coordinates		 Date TypeMaterialDimensions DesignationWikidata Notes
Charles Roe Christ Church, Macclesfield 1781 Low relief sculptureBlack & white marble Grade II* [21]

More images		 William Pitt, 1st Earl of Chatham Guildhall, London 1782 Monumental sculpture groupMarble [22]

1790-1794

Image Title / subject Location and
coordinates		 Date TypeMaterialDimensions DesignationWikidata Notes

More images		 Memorial to Ann Whytell Westminster Abbey, London 1791 Sculpture groupMarble [2][23]
John Thomas, Bishop of Rochester Westminster Abbey, London 1793 BustMarble Also attributed to John Bacon, Junior[2][24]
Memorial to Henry Hope Westminster Abbey, London 1793 Deep relief sculptureMarble [2][25]
Memorial to Etheldred Cust Church of Saint Peter and St. Paul, Belton, South Kesteven 1793 Plaque with relief Grade I [26][27]
Memorial to Sir Francis Henry Drake, 5th Baronet St Andrew's Church, Buckland Monachorum, Devon After 1794 Low relief sculpture on narrow pedestalMarble Grade I [28]

1795-1799

Image Title / subject Location and
coordinates		 Date TypeMaterialDimensions DesignationWikidata Notes
Memorial to George Augustus Eliott, 1st Baron Heathfield St Andrew's Church, Buckland Monachorum, Devon 1795 Sculpture group and portrait medallion on pedestalMarble Grade I [28]

More images		 John Howard St Paul's Cathedral, London 1795 Statue on pedestalMarble [2][5][29]
Atlas and Hercules Radcliffe Observatory, Oxford 1795 Sculpture groupBronze Grade I [30]
Memorial to Sir George Pocock Westminster Abbey, London 1796 Statue on narrow plinthMarble [2][31]

More images		 Dr Samuel Johnson St Paul's Cathedral, London 1796 Statue on pedestalMarble [2][5][32][33]

More images		 Sir William Jones St Paul's Cathedral, London 1799 Statue on pedestalMarble [2][5]
Memorial to William Mason Westminster Abbey, London 1799 Relief sculptureMarble [34]

Other works

References

  1. ↑ His body rests beneath an inscription reading: "What I was as an Artist, / Seemed to me of some importance / While I lived; / But / What I really was as a Believer / In Christ Jesus,/ Is the only thing of importance / To me now."[3]
  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 EB (1911).
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Rupert Gunnis (1951). Dictionary of British Sculptors, 1660–1851. The Abbey Library.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 John Smith (1829), "Bacon", Nollekens and His Times: Comprehending a Life of that Celebrated Sculptor; and Memoirs of Several Contemporary Artists, from the Time of Roubiliac, Hogarth, and Reynolds, to that of Fuseli, Flaxman, and Blake, vol. Vol. II, London: S. & R. Bentley for Henry Colburn, pp. 153–163
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 EB (1878).
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 Jason Edwards, Amy Harris & Greg Sullivan (2021). Monuments of St Paul's Cathedral 1796-1916. Scala Arts & Heritage Publishers Ltd. ISBN 978-1-78551-360-2.
  6. ↑ The National Cyclopaedia of Useful Knowledge, Vol II, (1847) Charles Knight, London, p.646
  7. ↑ Cecil, Richard, ed. (1801), Memoirs of John Bacon, Esq. R.A., with Reflections drawn from a review of his Moral and Religious Character, London: R. Noble for F. & C. Rivington
  8. ↑ "George Montagu-Dunk, Earl of Halifax". Westminster Abbey. Retrieved 7 November 2022.
  9. ↑ "Thomas Gray". Westminster Abbey. Retrieved 7 November 2022.
  10. ↑ "George III 1775". Royal Collection Trust. Retrieved 13 November 2022.
  11. ↑ "Guy's Hospital". The Courtauld Institute of Art. Retrieved 9 November 2022.
  12. ↑ "Guy's Hospital". The Courtauld Institute of Art. Retrieved 9 November 2022.
  13. ↑ Historic England. "Forecourt of Ham House (1192685)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 16 November 2022.
  14. ↑ "Monument to Bernard Brocas". Courtauld Institute of Art. Retrieved 18 November 2022.
  15. ↑ Historic England. "Church of St James (1093029)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 18 November 2022.
  16. ↑ "William Pitt and family". Westminster Abbey. Retrieved 7 November 2022.
  17. ↑ "Monument to William Pitt, Earl of Chatham". The Courtauld Institute of Art. Retrieved 9 November 2022.
  18. ↑ "George III with River Thames". The Courtauld Institute of Art. Retrieved 9 November 2022.
  19. ↑ "Design for the monument to King George III in the courtyard of Somerset House c. 1778 - c. 1789". Royal Collection Trust. Retrieved 13 November 2022.
  20. ↑ Historic England. "Statue of George III in Somerset House Quadrangle (1237087)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 15 November 2022.
  21. ↑ Historic England. "Christ Church, Macclesfield (1206916)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 18 November 2022.
  22. ↑ "Monument to William Pitt the Elder". The Courtauld Institute of Art. Retrieved 9 November 2022.
  23. ↑ "Ann Whytell". Westminster Abbey. Retrieved 7 November 2022.
  24. ↑ "John Thomas". Westminster Abbey. Retrieved 7 November 2022.
  25. ↑ "Henry Hope". Westminster Abbey. Retrieved 7 November 2022.
  26. ↑ "Monument to Etheldred Cust". The Courtauld Institute of Art. Retrieved 16 November 2022.
  27. ↑ Historic England. "Church of Saint Peter and Saint Paul (1298472)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 19 November 2022.
  28. 1 2 Historic England. "Church of St Andrew (1326380)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 18 November 2022.
  29. ↑ "Statue of John Howard". The Courtauld Institute of Art. Retrieved 9 November 2022.
  30. ↑ Historic England. "The Nuffield Institute for Medical Research the Radcliffe Observatory (1047070)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 13 November 2022.
  31. ↑ "George Pocock". Westminster Abbey. Retrieved 7 November 2022.
  32. ↑ H W Janson (1985). Nineteenth-century Sculpture. Thames & Hudson.
  33. ↑ "Monument to Samuel Johnson". The Courtauld Institute of Art. Retrieved 9 November 2022.
  34. ↑ "William Mason". Westminster Abbey. Retrieved 16 November 2022.
  35. ↑ "Bust of Samuel Johnson, Pembroke College Library, Oxford". The Courtauld Institute of Art. Retrieved 19 November 2022.
  36. ↑ "Statue of Sir William Blackstone". The Courtauld Institute of Art. Retrieved 24 November 2022.
  37. ↑ Jo Darke (1991). The Monument Guide to England and Wales. Macdonald Illustrated. ISBN 0-356-17609-6.
  38. ↑ "Pediment, Guy's Hospital". The Courtauld Institute of Art. Retrieved 19 November 2022.
  39. ↑ "Monument to Mrs Draper". The Courtauld Institute of Art. Retrieved 19 November 2022.
  40. ↑ "Monument to John Bentley Ashley and his wife". The Courtauld Institute of Art. Retrieved 19 November 2022.
  41. ↑ Historic England. "Church of Saint Leodegarius (1076499)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 19 November 2022.

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