Francis Bacon's Portraits

[A Phoenix]

Good afternoon Dr Rob Dee-likewise a treble WOW!

[Allisnum2er]

Good afternoon A Phoenix ! A treble WOW to you for putting the spotlight on those unknown or at least very little known books ! 🙏❤️

Regarding the Frontispiece of "The wise vieillard",  the sentence written on the arm of the Queen is interesting :

Non vivit qui nomini vivit  :  He who lives in the name does not live.

[Light-of-Truth]

It might be, "Non vivit qui nemini vivit" (e instead of o).

Google search:

https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&hl=en&q="Non+vivit+qui+nemini+vivit"

It seems to usually come up with "Seneca."

EDIT: Synchronicity:

https://sirbacon.org/bacon_&_seneca.htm

Edited September 25, 2022 by Light-of-Truth

[Eric Roberts]

15 hours ago, A Phoenix said:

Hi Eric,

I have just come across some information that I was not previously aware of relating to works that apparently contain unknown or unfamiliar images of the Great One in Francis Bacon A Bibliography of his Works and of Baconiana to the year 1750 SUPPLEMENT (Privately issued, 1959): 

1] Simon Goulart, The Wise vieillard or an old man, translated out of French into English by an obscure Englishman (London: John Dawson, 1621) that 'contains a portrait of of a bearded man seated at a table closely resembling Bacon', (Gibson no, 411). A transcribed reproduction of the work is available on the Internet (see link below) but this does not reproduce the above mentioned portrait.

https://quod.lib.umich.edu/e/eebo/A01992.0001.001?view=toc

2] Robert Johnson, A Letter from Mr. Robert Johnson, one of the elders at Edenborough, directed to Master William Agard at Cambridge (London: 1642) 'Woodcut Portrait of Bacon on titlepage' (Gibson, no. 452).

I have not been able to trace this on the internet.

As this is your area of expertise I thought it might be of some interest.🙂👍

The Phoenixes.

 

I wish I could say more than the attached, but my Latin and French is next to zero and I don't understand the context of the 1621 engraving. Is there any connection to Francis Bacon other than the vague resemblance of seated figure to F.B.?

On the other hand, the Mirror of Majesty emblem, or rather the accompanying poem seem to have a lot to do with Bacon.

 

 

[Allisnum2er]

On 9/25/2022 at 12:51 PM, Allisnum2er said:

Wow ! Did you notice the frontispiece ?

https://luna.folger.edu/luna/servlet/detail/FOLGERCM1~6~6~968682~166786?qvq=w4s%3A%2Fwho%2FT.%2BW.%2C%2Bobscure%2BEnglishman.&mi=0&trs=2

Hello everyone,

The Title of "The Wise Vieillard" is very interesting ...

Translated out of French into English by an obscure Englishman.

Could this "obscure Englishman" be none other than WILL TUDOR ?

[Allisnum2er]

A quick update !

I was looking for BACON ...

https://luna.folger.edu/luna/servlet/detail/FOLGERCM1~6~6~968682~166786?qvq=w4s%3A%2Fwho%2FT.%2BW.%2C%2Bobscure%2BEnglishman.&mi=0&trs=2

... I found an old boar ! 🙂 

By Will Tudor, an Old boar !

 

[A Phoenix]

Good Morning Yann, it was my first thought that it might be the Great One.

[Eric Roberts]

Has anyone seen this engraving of SFB before? I haven't. It's from the National Portrait Gallery website:

https://www.npg.org.uk/collections/search/portrait/mw112579/Francis-Bacon-1st-Viscount-St-Alban?LinkID=mp00201&role=sit&rNo=5

I've asked David Saywell at Art Detective (ArtUK) for any information about it. It's obviously very early and looks as though it could have been published during FB's lifetime. It must have been uploaded on the NPG site fairly recently, otherwise I would have seen it when I was working on the portrait gallery. I'm extremely excited about finding it because it clearly represents something hidden behind the curtain that's about to be revealed. I'd be so grateful for any information about this image.

 

[A Phoenix]

Hi Eric, what a fascinating etching and one we have not come across before - so very exciting. There seems to be little or no information about it so anything we can find will be very interesting. What indeed is the Great One about to reveal!? Great find Eric.

[Eric Roberts]

44 minutes ago, A Phoenix said:

Hi Eric, what a fascinating etching and one we have not come across before - so very exciting. There seems to be little or no information about it so anything we can find will be very interesting. What indeed is the Great One about to reveal!? Great find Eric.

Thanks A.P. I wonder where it comes from. I'll keep you posted if anything comes up.

[Eric Roberts]

4 hours ago, Eric Roberts said:

Has anyone seen this engraving of SFB before? I haven't. It's from the National Portrait Gallery website:

https://www.npg.org.uk/collections/search/portrait/mw112579/Francis-Bacon-1st-Viscount-St-Alban?LinkID=mp00201&role=sit&rNo=5

I've asked David Saywell at Art Detective (ArtUK) for any information about it. It's obviously very early and looks as though it could have been published during FB's lifetime. It must have been uploaded on the NPG site fairly recently, otherwise I would have seen it when I was working on the portrait gallery. I'm extremely excited about finding it because it clearly represents something hidden behind the curtain that's about to be revealed. I'd be so grateful for any information about this image.

 

P.S. Forgot to mention that I've asked Peter Dawkins if he knows anything about this image. Hopefully, he can enlighten us all.

[Eric Roberts]

1 hour ago, Eric Roberts said:

P.S. Forgot to mention that I've asked Peter Dawkins if he knows anything about this image. Hopefully, he can enlighten us all.

Peter Dawkins has kindly given his permission to share his comments on the NPG's etching of "Lord Bacon":

 

 

Dear Eric,

I haven’t seen this etched portrait of “Lord Bacon” before. It is most interesting. From the way it is done (style, etching, paper, etc.), I would agree with the National Gallery that it is probably early 17^th century. The description “Lord Bacon” places the date after 7 March 1617, when Bacon was appointed Lord Keeper of the Great Seal. It is the fact that it shows Bacon drawing aside a curtain to reveal – what? – which makes the etching particularly fascinating, and important, which I suppose is why you’ve asked me about it. Clearly it was done by someone in the know, hence also the “Lord Bacon” inscription, which is how Bacon was addressed after he became Lord Keeper. When he was given his aristocratic titles, he would have been more properly addressed as “Lord Verulam” or “Lord St Alban”, so maybe this etching dates from 7 March 1617 to 12 July 1618, when Bacon was made Baron Verulam of Verulam. But “Lord Bacon’ was probably a more informal way of referring to Bacon from 1617 onwards, so it is not a definitive way to date the etching.

 Two further things are notable in this etching of Bacon:

 Bacon’s medallion on a ribbon is shown fully. On other more well-known portraits of Bacon published in his lifetime, the medallion is concealed. In the frontispiece to the 1640 ‘Advancement of Learning’ (the first English translation of Bacon’s Latin ‘De Augmentis Scientiarum’), the ribbon and medallion are shown clearly as the Lesser George. (I have written about this.)

 The engraved words on the plinth have what at first glance looks like a comma after it, followed by a dash or dot (“Lord Bacon:-). This would usually imply that there was wording to follow, but this wouldn’t have fitted on the etching’s plinth in the space provided; so I surmise that it was three dots (:.), which is a way of signifying the Trinity in the Freemasonic-RC Mysteries (like TTT). 

 

Bacon was often shown in engravings and etchings with a curtain behind him, partly drawn, symbolising that there was a mystery to be discovered and that he was the one who could draw aside the curtain concealing the truth. The Gray’s Inn lawyer and author, Thomas Powell (1572? – 1635?), uses this imagery of a curtain concealing Bacon himself, in Powell’s dedication to Bacon in his ‘Attourney’s Academy’ (1623). It is the third of three dedications prefacing the book, which is also interesting. The various ciphers and emblems indicate that Powell was very much in the know and part of the RC group.

 

to

TRUE NOBILITY, 

AND TRYDE LEARNING,

beholden 

To no Mountaine for Eminence, 

nor Supportment for Height, Francis,

Lord Verulam, and Viscount St, 

Albanes.

0 Give me leave to pull the Curtaine by

That clouds thy Worth in such obscurity.

Good Seneca, stay but a while thy bleeding,

T’ accept what I received at thy Reading:

Here I present it in a solemne strayne,

And thus I pluckt the Curtayne backe again.

Thomas Powell, Dedication, Attourney's Academy (1623)

 

See https://archive.org/details/attourneysacadem00powe/page/n13/mode/2up?ref=ol&view=theater

 

I hope my remarks give some sort of help. It would be lovely if you can discover the source of the etching.

 

King regards,

Peter

 

 

 

[Eric Roberts]

Rob asked me today about a portrait of FB that sold at a Christie's auction last year for £6,000. (See picture D)

Although it is a posthumous painting by John Vanderbank, probably dating from around 1730, I thought I'd share

the results of my research. I was surprised to find that Vanderbank made a number of copies of the painting, which 

is based on the Paul Van Somer portrait owned by the Royal Society, London, c. 1618. It shows that 100 years after 

Lord Verulam left the stage, so to speak, his fame was undiminished.

 

A. 1618, Royal Society, London; Studio of Paul Van Somer

https://prints.royalsociety.org/products/portrait-of-francis-bacon-1561-1626-rs-9655

 

B. 1731, National Portrait Gallery, John Vanderbank

https://www.npg.org.uk/collections/search/person/mp00201/francis-bacon-1st-viscount-st-alban

 

C. 18th C., Trinity College, Cambridge, Anon. (Possibly another Vanderbank?)

https://artuk.org/discover/artworks/search/venue:trinity-college-university-of-cambridge-5846

 

D. 18th C., Earl of Macklesfield, John Vanderbank

https://onlineonly.christies.com/s/old-master-paintings-sculpture-online/john-vanderbank-london-1694-1739-241/124255

 

E. 18th C., Owner unknown, John Vanderbank

http://www.artnet.com/artists/john-vanderbank-the-younger/posthumes-bildnis-sir-francis-bacon-1561-1626-iCP_2ugtStYASzkY_WBgVA2

 

F. 18th C., Owner unknown, John Vanderbank

http://www.artnet.com/artists/john-vanderbank-the-younger/portrait-of-sir-francis-bacon-in-lord-chancellors-OwAW0TNSzeeTq3-L33CuPw2

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Vanderbank

[Light-of-Truth]

£6,000 sounds pretty low to me for such a beautiful Bacon portrait from the 1700s. (Even with the bird poop?)

https://onlineonly.christies.com/s/old-master-paintings-sculpture-online/john-vanderbank-london-1694-1739-241/124255

EDIT: Screenshot clip removed. Christies has strict copyright rules. I respect that, and it makes total sense with what they do as an auction house.

 

Edited October 21, 2022 by Light-of-Truth

[Eric Roberts]

16 minutes ago, Light-of-Truth said:

£6,000 sounds pretty low to me for such a beautiful Bacon portrait from the 1700s. (Even with the bird poop?)

https://onlineonly.christies.com/s/old-master-paintings-sculpture-online/john-vanderbank-london-1694-1739-241/124255

Couldn't Christies have paid a picture restorer to clean the portrait prior to auction? It looks unhygienic...😷

[Eric Roberts]

Before calling it a day (it's midnight in Australia) I also found this today. Crollius's 'Basilica Chymica' by Aegidius Sadeler II early C17.pdfNot directly Bacon related...

 

[Light-of-Truth]

6 hours ago, Eric Roberts said:

Before calling it a day (it's midnight in Australia) I also found this today. Crollius's 'Basilica Chymica' by Aegidius Sadeler II early C17.pdfNot directly Bacon related...

 

I remember this image in the same realm of John Dee at some point.

https://www.npg.org.uk/collections/search/portrait/mw124104/Crolliuss-Basilica-Chymica?LinkID=mp86998&role=sit&rNo=0

https://www.npg.org.uk/collections/search/portrait/mw127577/Mohammed-Appoloneus-Tyaneus-Sir-Edward-Kelley-Roger-Bacon-Paracelsus-John-Dee?LinkID=mp86998&role=sit&rNo=1

EDIT: It is Paracelsus that is my connection with Dee and Bacon . I am too buried in work and life to make any sense right now, at all! I apologize.

https://sirbacon.org/dawkinsherald.htm

Francis Bacon referred to himself as being the "herald of the new age"—a Golden Age—synonymous with John the Baptist who heralded the coming of Christ. This book relates some of the reasons why Bacon should describe himself so and be seen as such by others, including Paracelsus's prophecy a century earlier concerning the birth or appearance of Francis Bacon, whom he referred to as "Elias the Artist," a "great Light" who would give to the world a method by which all things might be known. Rosicrucians in Bacon's time and in later years equated Bacon with both Elias the Artist and Brother C.R.C., the 'father' or head of the Rosicrucian Order, whose scientific and cultural programme would eventually cleanse the world of vice and ignorance, and inaugurate a golden age of beauty, joy and enlightenment.

-P.D.
Tysoe
January 7th, 1997

 

Edited October 21, 2022 by Light-of-Truth

[Eric Roberts]

2 hours ago, Light-of-Truth said:

I remember this image in the same realm of John Dee at some point.

https://www.npg.org.uk/collections/search/portrait/mw124104/Crolliuss-Basilica-Chymica?LinkID=mp86998&role=sit&rNo=0

https://www.npg.org.uk/collections/search/portrait/mw127577/Mohammed-Appoloneus-Tyaneus-Sir-Edward-Kelley-Roger-Bacon-Paracelsus-John-Dee?LinkID=mp86998&role=sit&rNo=1

EDIT: It is Paracelsus that is my connection with Dee and Bacon . I am too buried in work and life to make any sense right now, at all! I apologize.

https://sirbacon.org/dawkinsherald.htm

Francis Bacon referred to himself as being the "herald of the new age"—a Golden Age—synonymous with John the Baptist who heralded the coming of Christ. This book relates some of the reasons why Bacon should describe himself so and be seen as such by others, including Paracelsus's prophecy a century earlier concerning the birth or appearance of Francis Bacon, whom he referred to as "Elias the Artist," a "great Light" who would give to the world a method by which all things might be known. Rosicrucians in Bacon's time and in later years equated Bacon with both Elias the Artist and Brother C.R.C., the 'father' or head of the Rosicrucian Order, whose scientific and cultural programme would eventually cleanse the world of vice and ignorance, and inaugurate a golden age of beauty, joy and enlightenment.

-P.D.
Tysoe
January 7th, 1997

 

Thanks very much for this information. I thought you would know the image. It's from this collection of C.16-C.17

engravings in the NPG: https://www.npg.org.uk/collections/search/portrait-list?sort=dateAsc&set=139&wPage=0

Vol. 2: https://www.npg.org.uk/collections/search/set/140/Fleming+Collection%3A+Fleming's+Granger+(Vol+2)

Both volumes contain over 3,200 images. So far, I've only found 1 of "Shakespeare" dating from the late-1700s.

There are quite a few of Francis, but mostly copies of copies. Strangely, there are no illustrations of scenes from the plays.

Many thanks also for the link to Peter Dawkins' 1997 book. The introduction to the book published on SirBacon is very enticing, but I could only find 1 copy available (https://www.amazon.com/Francis-Bacon-Herald-New-Age/dp/086293009X). Time for a reprint, perhaps?

 

 

 

[Light-of-Truth]

Herald of a New Age by Peter Dawkins

I think you can buy his books here:

https://www.fbrt.org.uk/books/

That was one the books that were Key in my Baconian development.

I've owned three copies. I believe L. Gerald sent me the first copy which solidified my Baconian path between 1998 and 2000. I passed that copy around and it got lost somewhere. I know several others were inspired by Peter's visionary views.

In May of 2004 I received a gift from a client and friend I have not heard from in many years, "Genevieve" (Borjoun Beauty). She sent me her personal copy filled with her notes and decorations. I still have that one and it is in my hands right now, flipping through pages seeing her notes.

A few years later I acquired an autographed version from Peter himself and I read it yet again. I loaned that copy to Keith Stillwagon when he was painting his Bacon painting. I don't think I got it back and never really asked for it. I do know Keith was very excited by it.

I just read part of page 33 again and realize how much different it means to me today than all the previous times I have read it. Each time is like I am in another level towards the top of the Pyramid. The first sentence of page 33;

"Above the base, the Pyramid of Philosophy rises in stages, or degrees, rather like a ladder or stepped pyramid, until the apex or 'vertical point' is reached."

 

[Light-of-Truth]

Continuation from my previous post:

I just want to share page 57 from the copy of Herald of a New Age that I have. The colors and notes are from Genevieve who sent me her copy signed 5-11-2004. Number 57 popped up today in an email that I received in my tiny world.

For me Bacon is an indescribable force in my life. Magic and meaning everywhere I look. I am being honest when I tell you I feel he is with us today, playing along with us. Today it seems like Francis Bacon was hanging out with me, feeding me with treats. Yet he was making absolutely sure I knew I need to focus on real Life for a while.

I am obsessed, no secret. Everybody knows. I am a reasonably "Functioning Baconian", if that is possible.

My name is Rob, I am a practicing Baconian.

Hello Rob, we are too. Welcome, we will support you.

 

 

 

[Eric Roberts]

1 hour ago, Light-of-Truth said:

Herald of a New Age by Peter Dawkins

I think you can buy his books here:

https://www.fbrt.org.uk/books/

That was one the books that were Key in my Baconian development.

I've owned three copies. I believe L. Gerald sent me the first copy which solidified my Baconian path between 1998 and 2000. I passed that copy around and it got lost somewhere. I know several others were inspired by Peter's visionary views.

In May of 2004 I received a gift from a client and friend I have not heard from in many years, "Genevieve" (Borjoun Beauty). She sent me her personal copy filled with her notes and decorations. I still have that one and it is in my hands right now, flipping through pages seeing her notes.

A few years later I acquired an autographed version from Peter himself and I read it yet again. I loaned that copy to Keith Stillwagon when he was painting his Bacon painting. I don't think I got it back and never really asked for it. I do know Keith was very excited by it.

I just read part of page 33 again and realize how much different it means to me today than all the previous times I have read it. Each time is like I am in another level towards the top of the Pyramid. The first sentence of page 33;

"Above the base, the Pyramid of Philosophy rises in stages, or degrees, rather like a ladder or stepped pyramid, until the apex or 'vertical point' is reached."

 

Thank you! Merci! Grazie!

[Eric Roberts]

3 minutes ago, Light-of-Truth said:

Continuation from my previous post:

I just want to share page 57 from the copy of Herald of a New Age that I have. The colors and notes are from Genevieve who sent me her copy signed 5-11-2004. Number 57 popped up today in an email that I received in my tiny world.

For me Bacon is an indescribable force in my life. Magic and meaning everywhere I look. I am being honest when I tell you I feel he is with us today, playing along with us. Today it seems like Francis Bacon was hanging out with me, feeding me with treats. Yet he was making absolutely sure I knew I need to focus on real Life for a while.

I am obsessed, no secret. Everybody knows. I am a reasonably "Functioning Baconian", if that is possible.

My name is Rob, I am a practicing Baconian.

Hello Rob, we are too. Welcome, we will support you.

 

 

 

I'm going to see if Peter has any left to sell!

[Light-of-Truth]

2 minutes ago, Eric Roberts said:

I'm going to see if Peter has any left to sell!

Ask him for an autographed copy, for your collection. 😉

 

[Eric Roberts]

24 minutes ago, Light-of-Truth said:

Continuation from my previous post:

I just want to share page 57 from the copy of Herald of a New Age that I have. The colors and notes are from Genevieve who sent me her copy signed 5-11-2004. Number 57 popped up today in an email that I received in my tiny world.

For me Bacon is an indescribable force in my life. Magic and meaning everywhere I look. I am being honest when I tell you I feel he is with us today, playing along with us. Today it seems like Francis Bacon was hanging out with me, feeding me with treats. Yet he was making absolutely sure I knew I need to focus on real Life for a while.

I am obsessed, no secret. Everybody knows. I am a reasonably "Functioning Baconian", if that is possible.

My name is Rob, I am a practicing Baconian.

Hello Rob, we are too. Welcome, we will support you.

 

 

 

Has he (F.B.) ever told you about his unrealised project - "The Great Baconian Interactive Timeline"? The reason it has never been attempted is that it would require the resources of a major institution like Cambridge and dozens of scholars, somewhat like the KJB project. But wouldn't it be fantastic... culled from all the available literature, every known date and event with illustrations and links to thousands of reference pages. Sort of like a supercharged version of the Dodd/Davis chronology (https://sirbacon.org/links/chronos.html) only much more detailed. Here's a crude example of an interactive timeline on the same sort of scale as the "GBIT":

http://www.histography.io Alas, it's just a dream.

Edited October 22, 2022 by Eric Roberts

[Eric Roberts]

12 minutes ago, Light-of-Truth said:

Ask him for an autographed copy, for your collection. 😉

 

That's a nice idea. I'll ask him to sign it for me. Thanks.