BACON (Joux), Academician, born 24th Novem ber 1740, who may be considered as the founder of the British School of Sculpture, and whose works are still its greatest boast, was the son of Thomas Bacon, cloth-worker in Southwark, whose forefathers possessed a considerable estate in Somersetshire.
At the age of 14, he was bound apprentice in Mr Crispe's manufactory of porcelain at Lambeth ; where he was at first employed in painting the small ornamental pieces of china, but soon attain ed the distinction of being modeller to the work. The produce of his labour was devoted by him, from his earliest years, towards the support of his parents. While thus engaged, he had an oppor tunity of seeing the models executed by different sculptors of eminence, which were sent to be burned at an adjoining pottery. An observation of these productions appears to have immediately determined the direction of his genius; and his progress in the imitation of them was no less rapid than his pro pensity to the pursuit was strong. His ardour and unremitting diligence are best proved by the fact, that the highest premiums given by the Society for the Encouragement of Arts, in those particular classes • in which he was a competitor, were adjudged to him nine times between the years 1763 and 1776. During his apprenticeship, he likewise formed the design of working statues in artificial stone, which he afterwards carried to perfection.
Mr Bacon first attempted working in marble about the year 1763 ; and, during the course of his early efforts in this art, was led, by, the resources of his genius, to improve the method of transferring the form of the model to the marble (technically called getting out the points), by the invention of a more perfect instrument for this purpose, and which has been since adopted by many sculptors, both in this and other countries. • The advantages which this instrument possesses above those formerly employed, are, its greater certainty and exactness, that it takes a correct measurement in every direction, is contain ed in 410 small a compass as not to encumber the workman, and is transferable either to the model or • the marble, as may be required, without the necessity of a separate instrument for each.
In the year 1769, the first gold medal given by the Royal Academy was adjudged to Bacon ; and in 1770, he was associated by that body. His first
work in sculpture was a bust of his present Majesty, George-the Third, intended for Christ Church Col lege, Oxford. It is said, that of sixteen different competitions in which he engaged with other artists, he was unsuccessful in one case only. His know ledge of the antique style was for a time called in question; and on occasion of the doubts which were raised on this point, be is reported to have modelled his head of Jupiter Tonans, as the most satisfactory method of repelling the charge. The objection pro bably originated from the circumstance, that in some of his principal works the figures were represented in the costume of modern times • of which his statue of' Justice Blackstone at -All Souls College, Oxford, and that of Howard in St Paul's Cathedral, are remark able examples. But his genius was not subjected to the trammels of this or any one style exclusively. Many of his emblematical figures are designed after the purest models, and in a taste altogether classical. Among others of this character, the monument to Mrs Draper, in the Cathedral of Bristol, is exqui sitely simple. his later productions, likewise, par ticularly those of a monumental kind, he introduced frequent examples of the ancient style : as in the well known monument to the Earl of Chatham in Westminster Abbey, that to Lord Robert Manners, and others which might be mentioned. " Another marble, scarcely finished at the time of his death," says Dallaway, in his Anecdotes of the Arts in Eng land, " will secure him a lasting fame for originality and classical taste. It is the Coenotaph lately erect ed at Westminster Abbey to the poet Mason. A muse, holding his profile on a medallion, reclines on an antique altar, on which are sculptured, in relief, a lyre, the tragic masque, and laurel wreath ; all of the most correct form, as seen on ancient sarcophagi of the pure ages." On the 4th of August 1779, Mr Bacon was sud denly attacked with an inflammation of the bowels, which occasioned his death in little more than two days. He died in his 59th year, leaving a widow, his second wife, and a flintily of six sons and three daughters.