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ROBERT WALKER (d. c. 1658)

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Originally appearing in Volume V28, Page 273 of the 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica.
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ROBERT See also:WALKER (d. c. 1658)  , See also:British painter, ,was a contemporary and to a slight extent a follower of See also:Van Dyck . The date of his See also:birth is uncertain, and no details are known of his See also:early See also:life . Although influenced by Van Dyck's See also:art, he had still a considerable degree of individuality and See also:developed a See also:sound See also:style of his own which was more severe and restrained than that of the greater See also:master . His greatest See also:vogue was at the See also:time of the See also:Commonwealth, for in addition to several portraits of See also:Cromwell he painted other portraits of See also:Lambert, See also:Ireton, See also:Fleetwood, and many more members of the Parliamentarian party . In 1652 he was given rooms in See also:Arundel See also:House in the Strand, See also:London, where he resided for the See also:rest of his life . He died either in 1658 or in 165o, the authority for the earlier date being an inscription on an engraved portrait by Lombart . His See also:work had much merit; it was vigorous and showed sound study of See also:character . Several of his paintings, among them the portrait of See also:William See also:Faithorne the See also:elder, are in the See also:National Portrait See also:Gallery, and there are others of notable importance at See also:Hampton See also:Court and in the University Galleries at See also:Oxford . One of his portraits of Cromwell is in the Pitti See also:Palace, where it is ascribed to See also:Lely; it was bought in the artist's lifetime, but after the See also:Protector's See also:death, by the See also:grand See also:duke See also:Ferdinand II. of See also:Tuscany . Another is at See also:Warwick See also:Castle . See also:Walker painted also See also:Robert Cromwell and his wife See also:Elizabeth Steward, parents of the Protector . The portrait of the latter, attended by a See also:page who is fastening his See also:sash at the See also:waist (now in the National Portrait Gallery, transferred from the British Museum, to which it was bequeathed by See also:Sir Robert See also:Rich, See also:Bart., descendant of Cromwell's friend, Nathaniel Rich) was called by See also:Walpole " Cromwell and Lambert "; but it is now certain that the page represents Cromwell's son See also:Richard .

Elizabeth Cromwell, afterwards Mrs Claypole, the Protector's daughter, also sat to him . As no See also:

complete See also:account of Walker's work is in existence (that of Walpole being very incomplete, while See also:Cunningham passes him over entirely), it may be added that the artist twice painted See also:John See also:Evelyn, in different sizes, as well as See also:Bradshaw, John See also:Hampden, See also:Colonel See also:Thomas See also:Sanders, See also:Cornet Joyce, and See also:Speaker See also:Lenthall, as well as Sir William and See also:Lady See also:Waller, Mrs Thomas See also:Knight, and See also:General See also:George See also:Monk, duke of See also:Albemarle, and Sir Thomas See also:Fairfax (engraved by Faithorne) . A portrait of Secretary See also:Thurlow, which was in the See also:Lord Northwick Collection, was attributed to him . As Walker was in the See also:camp of the Parliamentarians and See also:Dobson was the court painter at Oxford, few aristocratic persons sat to the former . Exceptions are See also:Mary See also:Capel, duchess of See also:Beaufort (engraved by J . Nutting), See also:Aubrey, last See also:earl of Oxford, and See also:James See also:Graham, See also:marquess of See also:Montrose; even a portrait of See also:Charles I. in See also:armour, with his See also:hand on his See also:helmet, is credited to Walker . Two versions, of a like See also:size, of his own portrait exist, one at the National Portrait Gallery and the other at Oxford, engraved by See also:Peter Lombart, and again, later, by T . Chambars . The Cromwell in the Scottish National Portrait Gallery is a copy . Walker's copy of See also:Titian's famous " See also:Venus at her See also:Toilet," highly esteemed by Charles I., is considered a work of See also:great merit .

End of Article: ROBERT WALKER (d. c. 1658)
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