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Oliver Cromwell

George Bickham

1726

ink

From the collection of National Gallery of Art

Baroque 18th Century Allegory

Dominant colour

Oliver Cromwell is a 1726 ink by George Bickham, a Baroque work, held at National Gallery of Art.

Who painted this?: George Bickham
When & what style?: 1726 · Baroque
Where can I see it?: National Gallery of Art

About this work

This picture shows a scary tree with faces and names in circles. At the top sits a man’s portrait labeled "Oliver Cromwell." Below him, two strong, winged men hold up the branches. The tree’s leaves are words like "Pride," "Ignorance," and "Fanaticism." At the bottom, more circles list things like "Murder," "Rebellion," and "Civil War." The artist called this a "genealogy" of bad traits. It’s not a real family tree—it’s a way to blame one person for chaos. Want to see more like this? Look up engraving.