Antique Portrait of Sir Nicholas Bacon, Lord Keeper

Antique portrait titled 'Sr. Nicolas Bacon Lord Keeper'. Sir Nicholas Bacon (28 December 1510 – 20 February 1579) was Lord Keeper of the Great Seal during the first half of the reign of Queen Elizabeth I of England. He was the father of the philosopher and statesman Sir Francis Bacon.

This print originates from Thomas Birch's 'The Heads of Illustrious Persons of Great Britain'. The portraits featured in the series, which were engraved by Jacob Houbraken and George Vertue, were originally issued from 1737 onwards in portfolios of four portraits. Between 1743 and 1752, the series was published by John and Paul Knapton in London in the form of Birch's The Heads of Illustrious Persons of Great Britain, and contained biographies alongside the portraits. The number of plates included varied from edition to edition. Although the majority contained 108 plates, some editions contained as many as 120. Houbraken was responsible for producing a large proportion of the portraits, with Vertue only engraving around seven. The ornamental surroundings featured on the plates were engraved prior to the portraits, and were done so by Hubert-François Gravelot.

Condition: Good. General age-related toning. Minor wear and soiling, blank verso. Please study image carefully.

Date: c.1750

Overall size: 26.7 x 41 cm.