Bacon’s memorial in Culford Church, Suffolk, image from Karen Hearn, Nathaniel Bacon, Full reference at the end of the post.
The Latin epitaph on this marble funerary monument translates as “Look Traveller, this is the monument of Nathaniel Bacon, A Knight of the Bath, whom, when experience and observation had made him most knowledgeable in the history of plants, astonishingly Nature alone taught him through his experiments with the brush to conquer Nature by Art. You have seen enough. Farewell.”
Erected in the church at Culford in Suffolk after Bacon’s death in July 1627 the monument is, according to Karen Hearn, former Curator of 16th and 17th century art at the Tate, “cutting edge in artistic terms. It is equally significant for garden historians because it commemorates not just the life of a prominent country gentleman, but also a pioneer artist and horticulturist. You may well never have heard of Nathaniel Bacon, and you are unlikely to have ever seen any of his pictures unless you have noticed the one the Tate acquired 20 years ago but that doesn’t diminish his importance. And as you will see although he’s an elusive figure he’s definitely one worth discovering….
Bacon’s signature from Essex Record Office D/DByC15, fol..116
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