Bacon Francis
Bacon Francis (1561-1626). English philosopher and politician, the son of a courtier of Elizabeth I. He deserted his patron, the Earl of Essex. during the latter’s trial for treason and worked with the prosecution to ensure his conviction (1601). He rapidly rose in power under James I until 1621, when he was banished from Parliament for taking bribes. Bacon’s fame now rests on his philosophy, which advocates observation and experience as the source of knowledge and truth, and can be regarded as the theoretical basis of modern science. He died from a chill caught while conducting an experiment in food preservation by stuffing a chicken with snow.
“If a man will begin with certainties, he shall end in doubts, but if he will be content to begin with doubts, he shall end in certainties.
Francis Bacon, The Advancement of Learning (1605)”
Bacon Francis
Bacon Francis (1909-92) British artist, noted for his paintings of anguished distorted figures. Born in Dublin, Bacon was self-taught as an artist and found little recognition until his Three Studies for Figures at the Base of a Crucifixion was exhibited in 1945. His later works, which continue to explore themes of pain and isolation, include a series of ‘Screaming Popes’ inspired by a portrait by Velazquez.
