Francis Bacon Research Trust

Behind the Actor’s Mask

The Real Author Shakespeare

Portrait of Sir Francis Bacon as Lord Keeper of the Great Seal of England and Lord Chancellor, engraved by Francis Holl for James Spedding, taken from an engraving made by Simon Passe. Holl’s copy was printed as the frontispiece to Spedding and Ellis’ Works of Francis Bacon, Vol. I (1857). The original by Simon Passe was printed in Holland’s Baziliologia (1618).

The original engraving by Simon Passe has a border bearing the words ‘HONORATISS : D^s. FRANCISCUS BACON : EQUES AU: MAG : SIGILL : ANGL : CUSTos’. Above the picture are shown his heraldic arms, with the Bacon motto, ‘MONITI MELIORA’. Beneath his left hand is depicted the Chancellor’s bag, which is changed in Holl’s version for a book. Beneath the portrait is an inscription which reads, ‘The righte Honourable S^r Frauncis Bacon knight, Lorde highe Chancellour of Englande and one of his Ma^ties most hon^ble privie Counsell’. Under this inscription, in small letters, is engraved ‘Simon Passæus sculpsit L. Are to be sould by John Sudbury and George Humble at the signe of the white horse in Pope’s head Ally.

Because the inscription does not include Bacon’s title of Baron Verulam, Spedding concludes that the engraving was made sometime between 4 January 1618, when he was created Lord Chancellor, and 12 July 1618, when he was created Baron Verulam. He also speculates that Passe based his engraving on an original but lost painting by Cornelius Janssen, who came to England in 1618. It is recorded that at least £33 was ‘paid to the picture drawer for his Lp’s picture’ on 12 September 1618, but this may have been to Van Somer, who painted Bacon’s portrait as Lord Chancellor from life, or it may have been to Simon Passe.

Passe’s plate was reused later for the frontispiece of Bacon’s Sylva Sylvarum (1626 and 1627), with suitable changes. The frontispiece to the 1640 Advancement and Proficience of Learning is also based on this same portrait.

Only three, possibly four, portraits of Bacon were done from life. The first is an oil painting of Francis Bacon as a child, aged 1-2 years old (c.1561-2) by an unknown artist. The second is the exquisite miniature of Francis Bacon in his 18th year, painted by Nicholas Hilliard in Paris in 1578/9. The third is the full length portrait of Bacon as Lord Chancellor, painted by Van Somer in 1618. The possible fourth is the Simon Passe's engraving, or rather, the drawing on which the engraving is based.

The mystery in this portrait (which is the same as in Pass’ original) is the nature of the medallion suspended from Bacon’s neck on a ribbon, which the piece of paper in his left hand carefully conceals.