Man of distinction

The name of Bacon in the 17th century inevitably suggests Sir Francis, first baron Verulam and viscount of St Albans, Lord Chancellor and natural scientist, philosopher and writer. Of an acutely inquiring mind, Sir Francis died of a chill caught trying to deep-freeze chickens. Nathaniel Bacon (1585–1627) was his nephew, and showed some of the same characteristics, being not only devoted to horticulture but also, more surprisingly, a painter of considerable talent and distinction, who experimented with new colours and varnishes. He is currently celebrated at Tate Britain in Nathaniel Bacon: Artist, Gentleman and Gardener (until 17 April), a focus exhibition built around a major painting which the gallery acquired in 1995 — ‘Cookmaid with Still Life of Vegetables and Fruit’. It’s an impressive picture, far superior in terms of dramatic display and psychological realism to the kind of Netherlandish model it is based on, such as Joachim Beuckelaer’s ‘Elements’, recently shown in the National Gallery’s exhibition The Stuff of Life.