John Bacon RA

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Artist/Maker	Russell, John (RA) (artist)
Place of origin	Britain (made)

Pastel portrait of John Bacon.

Object details

Category	Portraits
Object type	Pastel
Parts	This object consists of 2 parts. Pastel Frame
Title	John Bacon RA (generic title)
Materials and techniques	Pastel on paper laid onto canvas Pastel
Brief description	Pastel portrait of John Bacon RA (1740-1799), by John Russell RA (1745-1806), 1792.
Physical description	Pastel portrait of John Bacon.
Dimensions	Height: 42cm (Note: Taken from Lionel Lambourne, British Watercolours in the Victoria and Albert Museum, 1980) Width: 58.4cm (Note: Taken from Lionel Lambourne, British Watercolours in the V&A, 1980) Gilt frame height: 680mm (Note: FRAME) Gilt frame width: 840cm (Note: FRAME)
Styles	British School Georgian
Marks and inscriptions	J. Russell RA pinxit [he painted it]. In the 18th century pastel was called 'crayon painting', and was considered a form of painting.
Gallery label	John Russell was an innovative pastellist, perfecting both the technique and the manufacture of pastel. This portrait is a good example of the smooth blended technique for which he was renowned, creating a soft 'sfumato' effect by mixing his colours on the paper with his finger.
Credit line	Given by Mr. Eustace V. Bacon, M.B.E.
Object history	P.5-1957 (with its companion-portrait, P.6-1957, q.v.) had been previously on loan to the Museum at intervals from 1864; it was also lent to the Russell exhibition at Graves' Galleries, November to December 1909 (No.8). Another portrait of Bacon by Russell, similar in pose to P.5-157, but with the difference that the sitter is wearing a wig, was in April 1925 in the possession of Mr. John M. Bacon (reproduced in The Connoisseur of that date). One or other of those portraits was exhibited by Russell as No.133 in the Royal Academy Exhibition, 1792. P.5-1957 was engraved by A. Rosse, I. Collyer, A.R.A., H. Meyer and W. C. Edwards: the last of these gives the date 1792 for the original."
Subjects depicted	Man Bacon, John (The Elder)
Associated object	P.6-1957 (Ensemble)
Bibliographic reference	Victoria and Albert Museum Department of Prints and Drawings and Department of Paintings Accessions 1957-1958 London: HMSO, 1964
Collection	Prints, Drawings & Paintings Collection
Accession number	P.5-1957

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Record created	December 14, 2000
Record URL	https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O50516/john-bacon-ra-pastel-russell-john-ra/

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