William Walker

William Walker was a printmaker active across the late 18th and early 19th centuries, with his documented professional activity spanning the years 1782 through 1826. His output centered on historical subjects and engraved portraiture.

Five of Walker’s prints are currently represented in major American museum collections, establishing his work as a notable example of the era’s commercial and illustrative printmaking. These known compositions focus primarily on renowned historical and literary figures, including the portraits Shakespeare and Sir Francis Bacon, Lord Chancellor, and the representation Sir Walter Scott Bart. One key historical scene, The Death of Mary Queen of Scots, was published in volume I of the European Magazine and London Review.

The museum-quality preservation of Walker’s works establishes his credibility in the field. His prints are held in the permanent collections of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the National Gallery of Art, and the Art Institute of Chicago. Today, the continued interest in William Walker prints is facilitated by the fact that much of this historical material resides in the public domain, often available as high-quality prints or downloadable artwork through institutional archives.