Robert Walker was an English portrait painter, who flourished during the seventeenth century. He is best known for his portraits of members of the court of the English Civil War and the Commonwealth, particularly those of Oliver Cromwell. Walker was born around 1599, though the exact date and place of his birth are not well documented. He became a successful London portraitist during the personal rule of Charles I.
Walker's career truly began to prosper with the outbreak of the English Civil War when he gained patronage from Parliamentarian figures. During this period, he became the unofficial painter to the Cromwellian court, creating some of the most iconic images of Oliver Cromwell that are known today. These portraits often depicted Cromwell in a more naturalistic and less flattering manner than was typical of royal portraiture of the time, which is sometimes interpreted as a reflection of Cromwell's puritan beliefs.
Despite his association with Cromwell and the Parliamentarians, Walker's career did not suffer significantly after the Restoration of the Monarchy in 1660. His style was characterized by a strong use of light and dark, a somewhat reserved use of color, and an emphasis on the psychological presence of the sitter. He was influenced by the works of Anthony van Dyck, who was the leading court painter before him, and had a significant impact on the development of English portrait painting.
Walker's date of death is generally given as 1658. However, there is some debate among historians due to the lack of precise records. After his death, his work was somewhat overshadowed by the later popularity of artists like Sir Peter Lely, who became the dominant court painter following the Restoration. Nevertheless, Robert Walker's portraits remain an important part of the visual history of the Civil War and Commonwealth period in England.
