Robert Hunter (1715–1803): A Pioneer of Irish Portraiture Robert Hunter was born around 1715 in Ulster, Ireland—the precise location remains elusive—into a family steeped in aristocratic lineage. His father, James Hunter, Esq., possessed considerable estates and wielded influence within the local gentry, establishing a foundation for Robert’s own future endeavors. Maria Garnett Hunter, Robert's mother, tragically succumbed to illness shortly after giving birth to William Garnett Hunter (1811–1829), leaving Robert orphaned at a young age—a circumstance that profoundly shaped his formative yea…