Lord Bacon

Art Historical Context

This engraving by James Hopwood I portrays Lord Bacon, the distinguished title given to the philosopher and statesman Francis Bacon (1561–1626). Created between 1751 and 1775, the small-scale print measures just under seven inches in height, suggesting it may have been intended for inclusion in a book or a personal collection of notable figures. Hopwood, active in the late eighteenth century, specialized in portrait engravings that helped preserve and circulate images of historical luminaries for an educated public. Engraving was a meticulous intaglio process in which the artist incised fine ...