The Connoisseur is a poised and theatrical portrait of an impeccably dressed hare, appearing caught in a moment of thoughtful inspection, delicately raising a monocle or lorgnette as though assessing the finer details of the world around him with expert precision and faint amusement. Dressed in an elongated tailored coat, breeches, striped stockings and polished buckled shoes, the figure embodies the flamboyant elegance of an eighteenth-century gentleman. Despite the human attire and aristocratic mannerisms, the creature retains its unmistakable wildness, creating the charming tension that defines so much of Walker’s work. The title, The Connoisseur, playfully suggests a figure of cultivated taste and discernment, perhaps a collector, critic, or gentleman of leisure whose expertise may or may not be entirely self-appointed. Walker gently satirises the rituals of refinement and status while simultaneously celebrating them, creating a character who feels both absurdly comic and strangely believable. 

Jonathan Walker, who lives and works in Devon, is renowned for his imaginative anthropomorphic paintings inspired by the creatures and characters of the British countryside. His hares, foxes, badgers and moles inhabit a parallel world where woodland animals adopt human fashions and rituals while never losing their intrinsic animal nature. Influenced by traditional illustration yet unmistakably modern in execution, Walker’s work combines wit and narrative charm with subtle observations of human behaviour.

Sold as a triptych, alongside Best Threads and The Country Gent.