John Henry Frederick Bacon
Encyclopedia
John Henry Frederick Bacon (1868 - 24 Jan 1914) was a British painter and illustrator of genre works, history and bible scenes
History painting
History painting is a genre in painting defined by subject matter rather than an artistic style, depicting a moment in a narrative story, rather than a static subject such as a portrait...

, and portraits.

Life and work

He was the second son of John Cardanall Bacon, a well-known lithographer, and showed artistic talent from a very young age. He trained at the Westminster School of Art
Westminster School of Art
The Westminster School of Art was an art school in Westminster, London. It was located at 18 Tufton Street, Deans Yard, Westminster, and was part of the old Architectural Museum.H. M. Bateman described it in 1903 as...

 and the Royal Academy
Royal Academy
The Royal Academy of Arts is an art institution based in Burlington House on Piccadilly, London. The Royal Academy of Arts has a unique position in being an independent, privately funded institution led by eminent artists and architects whose purpose is to promote the creation, enjoyment and...

 in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...

. In his teens he had already acquired a reputation as an outstanding Black and White illustrator, and at the age of 18 set off on a professional tour of India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...

 and Burma.

On his return to England, in 1889, Bacon exhibited "The Village Green" and "Nevermore" at the Royal Academy and was a regular exhibitor from then on. He enjoyed great success as a painter of religious works, such as "Peace be unto you" (1897), Gethsemane (1899); historical scenes, such as "Homage giving, Westminster Abbey" (for the coronation of Edward VII
Edward VII of the United Kingdom
Edward VII was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions and Emperor of India from 22 January 1901 until his death in 1910...

), "The Coronation ceremony of George V" (1911), "The City of London Imperial Volunteers Return to London from South Africa on Monday 29th October 1900"; as well as portraiture and genre scenes - such as "A Wedding Morning" (1892) "A Confession of Love" (1894), Rivals (1904) etc. He was an Associate of the Royal Academy
Royal Academy
The Royal Academy of Arts is an art institution based in Burlington House on Piccadilly, London. The Royal Academy of Arts has a unique position in being an independent, privately funded institution led by eminent artists and architects whose purpose is to promote the creation, enjoyment and...

 (ARA) and was awarded the MVO (Member of the Royal Victorian Order) for distinguished service to the King. Bacon also provided illustrations for books as well as magazines and periodicals.

Bacon married in 1894 and took up residence at "Pillar House" in Harwell
Harwell, Oxfordshire
Harwell is a village and civil parish in the Vale of White Horse west of Didcot. It was part of Berkshire until the 1974 boundary changes transferred it to Oxfordshire.-Amenities:...

, Berkshire
Berkshire
Berkshire is a historic county in the South of England. It is also often referred to as the Royal County of Berkshire because of the presence of the royal residence of Windsor Castle in the county; this usage, which dates to the 19th century at least, was recognised by the Queen in 1957, and...

 (now in Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire is a county in the South East region of England, bordering on Warwickshire and Northamptonshire , Buckinghamshire , Berkshire , Wiltshire and Gloucestershire ....

). He had 7 children. He died, of acute Bronchitis
Bronchitis
Acute bronchitis is an inflammation of the large bronchi in the lungs that is usually caused by viruses or bacteria and may last several days or weeks. Characteristic symptoms include cough, sputum production, and shortness of breath and wheezing related to the obstruction of the inflamed airways...

. on 24 January 1914, aged only 49.

Selected works

  • The Wedding Morning, John Henry Frederick Bacon (Lady Lever Art Gallery
    Lady Lever Art Gallery
    The Lady Lever Art Gallery was founded in 1922 by Sunlight Soap magnate, William Lever, 1st Viscount Leverhulme, and dedicated to the memory of his wife....

    )
  • Portrait of Michael Lewis Myers, 1906 (Tate Britain
    Tate Britain
    Tate Britain is an art gallery situated on Millbank in London, and part of the Tate gallery network in Britain, with Tate Modern, Tate Liverpool and Tate St Ives. It is the oldest gallery in the network, opening in 1897. It houses a substantial collection of the works of J. M. W. Turner.-History:It...

    )

Illustrated books (selected)

  • Ebbutt, Maud Isabel. Hero-myths & legends of the British race (New York: T.Y. Crowell & Company, 1910).
  • Squire, Charles. Celtic myth and legend, poetry & romance (London: Gresham).
  • Dickens, Charles
    Charles Dickens
    Charles John Huffam Dickens was an English novelist, generally considered the greatest of the Victorian period. Dickens enjoyed a wider popularity and fame than had any previous author during his lifetime, and he remains popular, having been responsible for some of English literature's most iconic...

    . Little Dorrit
    Little Dorrit
    Little Dorrit is a serial novel by Charles Dickens published originally between 1855 and 1857. It is a work of satire on the shortcomings of the government and society of the period....

     (Gresham, 1912)

External links

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