⚔️ Portrait of General John Lambert – Soldier, Statesman & Architect of England’s First Constitution (1619–1684)

Mid-19th Century English School, after Robert Walker

🖼️ Overview

A finely executed mid-19th century oil on panel, this portrait presents General John Lambert, one of the most brilliant and complex figures of the English Civil War. Painted c.1840, in the manner of Robert Walker—Cromwell’s court portraitist—the work shows Lambert in polished steel armour with gilt trim, softened by a delicately rendered lace cravat. Set within a painted oval cartouche, the portrait embodies the Victorian revival of Civil War subjects, when England’s only republican experiment was reinterpreted for a new age of collectors.

⚔️ Historical Importance

Lambert distinguished himself at Marston Moor (1644) and Preston (1648), proving himself one of the New Model Army’s most gifted commanders. Yet his legacy extends beyond the battlefield: he drafted the Instrument of Government (1653), the first written constitution in British history.

Although offered supreme power, Lambert refused, remaining steadfast to the Commonwealth. After Cromwell’s death he sought to preserve the republic, but following the Restoration he was imprisoned on Guernsey for the final 24 years of his life. Even his adversaries respected his intellect, courage, and integrity.

Rarity matters: portraits of Lambert are far scarcer than those of Cromwell or Fairfax, enhancing both historic and market appeal.

🎨 Artistic Lineage

The likeness derives from Robert Walker (d.1658), the foremost portraitist of the Commonwealth. Walker’s works defined the visual memory of Cromwell’s circle—Cromwell, Fairfax, Ireton, and Lambert himself. This Victorian revivalist interpretation, with crisp contrasts and luminous highlights, reflects the 19th-century passion for Civil War subjects, encouraged by writers such as Thomas Carlyle.

🪞 Presentation

• Medium: Oil on panel

• Date: c.1840

• School: English School, after Robert Walker

• Signature: Unsigned, as typical for English School revivalist works

Reframed to museum standards in a premium Larson-Juhl gilt moulding, with AR70 museum-grade anti-reflective glass for clarity and UV protection. The original frame is preserved and may be included; it bears the inscription “Harrods 79”, suggesting prior exhibition or sale through Harrods Fine Art Department, London.

• Dimensions: 27 cm × 24.5 cm x 2 cm (framed)

📜 Provenance

• From a long-established northern English auction house (founded in the 1840s)

• Curated by Cheshire Antiques Consultant LTD.

• Famous Lord Hill Museum exhibition label verso

🕰️ Condition

Stable and well-preserved. The panel shows no warping or splits; the paint layer is secure, with craquelure and varnish wear consistent with age. With paint loss to the corners and some touch ups in corners. Colours remain vibrant, with a clean metallic sheen across the armour and natural flesh tones. Retouching to mainly the upper and lower corner background areas. Professionally conserved and reframed with museum-grade materials.

💎 Collecting Notes

• Rare Subject: Lambert portraits are seldom encountered on the market

• Prestigious Lineage: After Robert Walker, Cromwell’s official portraitist

• Museum-Grade Display: Larson-Juhl gilt moulding with AR70 glazing

• Historical Resonance: A vivid reminder of England’s only republican experiment

• Victorian Grandeur: Capturing the 19th-century rediscovery of Civil War heroes

  
  

• ✨ A rare opportunity to acquire a museum-quality Victorian revivalist portrait after Robert Walker, commemorating one of the English Civil War’s most brilliant commanders—an artwork of both historical depth and collector prestige.

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