Robert, known as Bob, was born in 1935 in Creve Coeur, Missouri, to a prominent St. Louis family. His grandfather recognized his early talent and, when he was a young boy, would take him to the St. Louis Art Museum, where he would spend hours copying the Masters. He was a member of Ladue High School's first graduating class. Bob excelled in art and quickly found it to be his lifelong passion. He honed his talents through private lessons with Siegfried Reinhardt and by attending classes at Washington University School of Fine Arts.

In his twenties, Bob moved to Chicago, where he became an art restorer at the Art Institute of Chicago. During these years, he maintained a studio where he worked on both painting and restoration. While in Chicago, Bob sold paintings to Vincent Price, The Playboy Mansion, and many private collections.

In the 1970s, Bob moved back to St. Louis, where he began his career at Famous Barr. For many years, Bob served as the Art Director at Famous Barr, creating the store's sets and displays. Some might remember the mural behind the train set that Bob painted, which was displayed during the Christmas season. During this time, Bob also worked as an illustrator for both The St. Louis Globe Democrat and the Sears Catalog.

Bob loved his city and spent much of his painting career creating street scenes and portraits of its inhabitants. It is believed that Bob befriended a number of Native Americans who lived on or around Cherokee Street and sat for him to paint in their traditional historic dress. A number of these paintings are in the current exhibition.

Bob spent most of his days tending his garden and restoring and designing his historic home, The Dielmann-Kaiser House on Broadway. Bob passed away in 2023.