Robert Barker (1739–1806)

This bronze portrait medal of Robert Barker was made by Jacques-Antoine Dassier, a Swiss medalist working in England. It dates to around 1739, and the profile view is typical of such commemorative objects. Medals like this circulated within elite circles, and invite us to consider the social function of art. Who was Robert Barker? Why was he deemed worthy of such attention? These questions get to the heart of social and institutional history. We might consult biographical dictionaries, genealogical records, and the archives of learned societies to uncover Barker’s status and achievements. Dassier was part of a family of medalists who produced series of portraits of eminent men. What did it mean to create a pantheon of notables in this form? The answers lie in understanding the networks of patronage, the collecting habits of the wealthy, and the political uses of imagery in 18th-century Europe.