Annals of industry and genius . ever before seen the art ofmodelling or sculpture regularly executed by men ofscience. In 17H9, he had the high honour of re-ceiving the first gold medal for sculpture ever givenby the Eoyal Academy. Two years after, heexhibited a cast from his model of Mars—a verybeautiful performance, of which he afterwards carvedin marble a statue as large as life. This work ob-tained for the sculptor the notice of the Archbishopof York, who introduced him to the royal patronage,and the king himself sat to Bacon for his following story is told of the statue of Mars:—
Annals of industry and genius . ever before seen the art ofmodelling or sculpture regularly executed by men ofscience. In 17H9, he had the high honour of re-ceiving the first gold medal for sculpture ever givenby the Eoyal Academy. Two years after, heexhibited a cast from his model of Mars—a verybeautiful performance, of which he afterwards carvedin marble a statue as large as life. This work ob-tained for the sculptor the notice of the Archbishopof York, who introduced him to the royal patronage,and the king himself sat to Bacon for his following story is told of the statue of Mars:—-Whilst the artist was making the model, so imper-lectly was the clay wrought together that the figureshrunk down, and the nether limbs were crushed outof proportion. A porter came into his study with aletter, and, never having seen a human figuie in claybefore, could not conceal his wonder. What a finefellow, he said, and with such short thighs, too!The sculptor looked at his work, saw what had hap- THE ROYAL BUST. 237 Mir. THE KING SITTING FOR HIH BUST. pened, and repaired the accident, of which he hadbeen so unceremoniously admonished. The skill which Bacon showed in the ro^al bust,and his modest and unassuming bearing much pleasedthe king, who inquired if he had learned his artabroad, and whether he had studied at Rome. Being 238 STATUE OF answered tluit he had nevei heen out (jf the hlng-dom, the monarch said, I am glad of it; you willbe the m-eater honour to it. Havino- now securedto himself a fair prospect of future sujccess, he mar-ried a lady to whom he had long been attached, andremoved to Newman Street, where he had studios,shops, and ever3thing desirable for carrying on hisprofession on a laige scale. He soon obtained asman}^ commissions as he could execute. The city ofLondon entrusted to him the execution of a monu-ment to the Earl of Chatham for the it was erected, we are told, half the peopleof London flocked to see a work which t
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