Artist: Robert Buhler R.A.

Born in London to Swiss parents Robert Buhler (1916-1989) studied commercial art in Zürich and  Basel. He returned to London in 1933 and in 1934 Buhler enrolled at St Martin's School of Art, where he studied under Vivian Pitchforth and Leon Underwood. The following year he won a scholarship to the Royal College of Art but stayed only six weeks.

Robert Buhler became friends with members and associates of the Euston Road School who visited his mother's bookshop and café on Charlotte Street. Although he was not a member of the group, these artists influenced his use of restrained tones and preference for painting town and landscapes. Buhler was very much at home painting the London scenes that he knew so well and a number of these were exhibited in the Royal Academy Summer Exhibitions from 1945 to 1948 period and uniquely were often painted from a high point looking down on the location. Three such examples are “Carlyle Square” in the Tate, “Green Park” in the Royal Academy and “Bomb site in Chelsea” in the Museum of London collections.

Primarily a painter of places, Buhler was also much admired as a portrait painter. He painted many commissioned portraits but particularly enjoyed painting friends from London's artistic and literary circles. His sitters included Steven Spender, Ruskin Spear, Barnett Freedman, John Minton and Francis Bacon.

Buhler taught at Wimbledon School of Art, Central School of Arts and Crafts, the Chelsea School of Art and Royal College of Art. He exhibited at the New English Art Club, Leger Gallery, Leicester Galleries, Wildensteins, and Redfern Gallery.. In 1948 he joined the London Group. In 1982 Buhler won the Wollaston Award at the Royal Academy and in 1984 the Hunting Group prize for his painting 'Vineyards, Neuchâtel' He was regularly part of the selection process for the RA Summer exhibition and regularly painted in Brittany beach scenes, where he holidayed.