John Bacon (sculptor, born 1740) facts for kids

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

John Bacon RA (born 1740 – died 1799) was a famous British sculptor. He lived and worked in the late 1700s. Many people consider Bacon to be the person who started the "British School of Sculpture." This means he helped create a unique style of sculpture in Britain.

King George III admired his work. You can find his sculptures in important places like St Paul's Cathedral and Westminster Abbey in London. His art also decorates Christ Church, Oxford, Pembroke College, Oxford, Bath Abbey, and Bristol Cathedral.

Biography

John Bacon was born in Southwark, London, on November 24, 1740. His father, Thomas Bacon, was a cloth worker.

When John was just 14, he started an apprenticeship at Mr. Crispe's porcelain factory in Lambeth. He began by painting small china decorations. Soon, he became a model maker. He used the money he earned to help his parents, who were having financial difficulties.

John saw models from famous sculptors being fired at a nearby pottery kiln. This inspired him to become a sculptor. He started copying these models very well. He even won a prize for a small figure of Peace that he sent to the Society for the Encouragement of the Arts. Between 1763 and 1776, he won their top awards nine times! During his apprenticeship, he also made better ways to create statues from stoneware.

Around 1763, Bacon started working with marble. He showed a medallion of King George III that year. He also created a new tool to help transfer designs from a model to marble more accurately. This tool was very precise and easy to use.

By 1769, Bacon was working for Eleanor Coade's "Artificial Stone Manufactory." In the same year, he won the first gold medal for sculpture from the Royal Academy. This was for a sculpture showing Aeneas and Anchises escaping from Troy.

In 1770, he showed a figure of Mars. He later made it in marble for Charles Pelham. This work earned him another gold medal and helped him become an associate of the Royal Academy. In 1771, Eleanor Coade made him the supervisor at her factory. He managed the model-making and design there until he died.

In 1774, a fan of his work, Mr. Johnson, gave him a new studio at 17 Newman Street. Bacon created a bust of King George III for Christ Church, Oxford. He remained a favorite of the King throughout his life. Some people criticized him for not knowing enough about classic Greek sculpture. He proved them wrong with a bust of Jupiter Tonans.

In 1795, he finished a statue of John Howard for St Paul's Cathedral. This was the first statue placed on the main floor of the cathedral in over a century. Bacon was considered the most successful public sculptor in England at the time. The church then asked him to create two more statues for the cathedral: one of Samuel Johnson in 1795 and another of Judge Sir William Jones in 1799.

John Bacon suddenly became ill on August 4, 1799, and passed away just a few days later, on August 7. He was buried in Whitefield's Tabernacle in London. He left behind a large family, including six sons and three daughters. His sons, Thomas Bacon and John Bacon Jr., continued his work.

Legacy

John Bacon is known as the founder of the British School of Sculpture. He won many awards and was highly respected by King George III. His sculptures are still admired today. You can see his works in famous places like St Paul's Cathedral and Westminster Abbey in London. They are also in Christ Church, Oxford, Pembroke College, Oxford, Bath Abbey, and Bristol Cathedral.

Selected Public Works

1770-1779

Image	Title / subject	Location and coordinates	Date	Type	Material	Dimensions	Designation	Notes
	George Montagu-Dunk, 2nd Earl of Halifax	Westminster Abbey, London	1771	Bust with sculpture group	Marble
	Aesculapius	Guy's Hospital, London	c. 1774	Statue in niche	Stone
	Old Father Thames	Forecourt of Ham House	1775	Statue on plinth and steps	Coade stone
	William Pitt, 1st Earl of Chatham	Westminster Abbey, London	1778	Monumental sculpture group	Marble
	Monument to Thomas Guy	Guy's Hospital Chapel, London	1779	Sculpture group on pedestal	Marble
	George III with the River Thames	Somerset House, London	1779	Sculpture groups on pedestal	Bronze and stone

1780-1789

Image	Title / subject	Location and coordinates	Date	Type	Material	Dimensions	Designation	Notes
	Charles Roe	Christ Church, Macclesfield	1781	Low relief sculpture	Black & white marble
	William Pitt, 1st Earl of Chatham	Guildhall, London	1782	Monumental sculpture group	Marble

1790-1794

Image	Title / subject	Location and coordinates	Date	Type	Material	Dimensions	Designation	Notes
	Memorial to Ann Whytell	Westminster Abbey, London	1791	Sculpture group	Marble
	John Thomas, Bishop of Rochester	Westminster Abbey, London	1793	Bust	Marble		Also attributed to John Bacon, Junior
	Memorial to Henry Hope	Westminster Abbey, London	1793	Deep relief sculpture	Marble

1795-1799

Image	Title / subject	Location and coordinates	Date	Type	Material	Dimensions	Designation	Notes
	John Howard	St Paul's Cathedral, London	1795	Statue on pedestal	Marble
	Atlas and Hercules	Radcliffe Observatory, Oxford	1795	Sculpture group	Bronze
	Dr Samuel Johnson	St Paul's Cathedral, London	1796	Statue on pedestal	Marble
	Sir William Jones	St Paul's Cathedral, London	1799	Statue on pedestal	Marble

Other Works

• Bust of Samuel Johnson, Pembroke College, Oxford
• Bust of George III in Christ Church, Oxford (1770)
• Seated statue of William Blackstone, the Codrington Library, All Souls, Oxford (1784)
• Pediment, Guy's Hospital, London (c. 1774)
• Monument to Mrs Draper, Bristol Cathedral (1780)
• Bust of Inigo Jones for the Carpenters Hall, London (1780)
• Monument to John Milton in St Giles Cripplegate, London (1793)

Images for kids

• 

  Memorial to Admiral Lord Heathfield

• 

  Memorial to Sir George Pocock

• 

  Memorial to William Mason

• 

  Monument to Bernard Brocas

• 

  Memorial to Etheldred Cust

• 

  Memorial to Sir Francis Henry Drake