James Reeve Stuart
El Capitain
1870

About the Item

James Reeve Stuart (American, 1834-1915) El Capitain, 1870 Signed Lower Left 36 x 46 inches 46 x 56 inches James Reeve Stuart, well-trained portrait painter and teacher, was born in Beaufort, South Carolina, to one of the wealthiest families in the Antebellum South. Ancestors fled from Scotland, and one of them, John, was Superintendent of Indian Affairs of the Southern Colonies. The Stuart family owned several of the wealthiest plantations in the sea island area of South Carolina, and Stuart's parents owned the Ferry Plantation and it's Mansion "Roupelmonde" on Port Royal Island, adjacent to the Port Royal Ferry. Stuart's father, Colonel Middleton Stuart, died in 1840, and young Jimmie's education and upbringing was left to his many uncles. His uncle, Bishop Stephen Elliott, and another uncle, John Barnwell encouraged Jimmie to pursue his interest in art. He attended Harvard College, and while in Boston, with an introduction by way of Senator Barnwell, studied under Joseph Ames. After graduating from Harvard, Jimmie, as he was known, traveled to Europe to continue his studies in art. In 1859, James Reeve Stuart became the second American to be accepted to study art at the prestigious Royal Academy in Munich, Germany. His European studies were shortened by South Carolina's secession from the Union and the resulting four-year Civil War. He returned to Beaufort and enlisted in the Confederacy with the Beaufort Volunteer Artillery and later the South Carolina Engineers. During the Civil War years, he painted several portraits including his uncle, Bishop Stephen Elliott, General Leonidas Polk, and founders of the University of the South at Sewanee, Tennessee. He also painted Bishop Elliott's son, Brigadeer General Stephen Elliott, that hangs in the Museum of the Confederacy at Richmond. After the war, the Stuart family lost almost everything. Two of his brothers were killed in the war; the Ferry Plantation and "Rouplemonde" were totally destroyed when used as the battleground at the "Battle of Port Royal Ferry." Stuart opened a studio in Savannah and much to his surprise, made $1500.00 in just six months. He decided art would be his career. In 1867 he traveled to St. Louis, Missouri and opened another studio. He would remain in St. Louis for the next five years. During his St. Louis years, he traveled the Midwest, painting portraits on commission. One of his trips, in 1872, took him to Madison, Wisconsin. His autobiography states he was so attracted by the "quiet charm" of Wisconsin's capital city that he "abandoned the dust and cold of St. Louis" he knew he was home. Stuart spent the remainder of his life, the next forty-two years, in Madison, except for trips to South Carolina or study in Europe. Stuart became an Artist in Residence at the University of Wisconsin. He also taught art at Milwaukee College. He is listed as an early Cream of Wheat* advertising art illustrator. More than thirty-five of his portraits are in the State Historical Society Museum and several more hang in the State Capitol Building in Madison. Stuart died December 23, 1915 and is buried in Madison.

Creator:
James Reeve Stuart (1834 - 1915, American)
Creation Year:
1870
Dimensions:
Height: 36 in (91.44 cm)Width: 46 in (116.84 cm)
Medium:
Oil,Canvas
Movement & Style:
Realist
Period:
1870-1879
Condition:
Gallery Location:
Missouri, MO
Reference Number:
1stDibs: LU747313346412
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