American painter, illustrator, and translator Henry Bacon is best known for his paintings of the Civil War. He was an artist and war artist during the American Civil War and was badly wounded during the Second Battle of Bull Run. His lifelong passion for the war eventually led him to paint scenes of the battle and serve as a soldier. However, Bacon's talents were not limited to art. He was also an author and a translator.

Bacon was born in Haverhill, Massachusetts in 1839. His first job was as a soldier in the Union Army during the Civil War. He was severely wounded during the Second Battle of Bull Run. After returning home from the war, he studied art in France and became a member of the Pont-Aven School. He specialized in landscapes and genre subjects in French country life. 

During the 1880s, Bacon won the Rotch Traveling Scholarship. He then went to Europe to study Roman and Greek architecture. After returning to America, he worked on the state house in Providence, Rhode Island. He later worked with his mentor, Charles Mckim, during the Chicago World's Columbian Exposition and the Paris World's Expo. His work was published in many prominent magazines and museums, including the New York Times and the Boston Public Library.

In 1897, he traveled to Egypt. While there, he developed a keen interest in Orientalist painting. He died in Cairo, Egypt, on the same day as his father.