Francis Bacon at 17 years of age, 1578

Francis Bacon at 17 years of age, 1578

Author: Nicholas Hilliard. Medium: watercolour and bodycolour on vellum laid on card,. Date: 1578. Dimensions: 2 3/8 in. x 1 7/8 in. (60 mm x 47 mm) image size. Sourced: National Portrait Gallery, NPG 6761 (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0).

This miniature depicts Francis Bacon at seventeen, a student of law and humanist scholar. It is an early example of the work of Nicholas Hilliard who, along with Bacon, joined the English ambassador to France, Sir Amyas Paulet, on a visit to France from 1576-78. 

Further information: Tarnya Cooper, Elizabeth I & Her People, 2013 (accompanying the exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery from 10 October 2013 - 5 January 2014), p. 182