Robert Gaywood

Robert Gaywood was an artist active as a printmaker between approximately 1600 and 1655. His artistic output focused on the creation of prints, a popular and essential medium during the 17th century for disseminating likenesses and cultural images. The verifiable record of Robert Gaywood prints establishes his activity as a skilled practitioner during the English Interregnum period.

A selection of his documented output confirms his specialization in portraiture and literary illustration. Notable works represented in museum collections include regal and scholarly portraits such as Catherine of Braganza, Edward Cocker, Arithmetician and Writing Master, and Jeremiah Burroughes, Puritan Divine. He also engaged with contemporary literary subjects, evidenced by the portrait of Jean Louis Guez, Sieur de Balzac, and the character study Guzman de Alfarache.

Fifteen of Gaywood's prints are currently represented in museum holdings, including examples preserved by the National Gallery of Art. These museum-quality impressions serve as important visual records of mid-17th-century historical figures and literary culture. Many of these historical prints are now in the public domain, allowing institutions to provide downloadable artwork for scholarly research and access.