James Everett Stuart (1852-1941) was a prolific American landscape painter celebrated for his sweeping portrayals of the American West. Over the course of his career, he is estimated to have created more than 5,000 works, capturing the diverse terrains of the United States, from the coast of Maine to California, the Pacific Northwest, and Alaska.

Stuart moved to California at the age of eight and later studied at the San Francisco School of Design, where he trained under prominent artists including Virgil Williams, Raymond Yelland, Thomas Hill, and William Keith. Deeply influenced by the romantic realism of the French Barbizon School, his work is distinguished by dramatic lighting, atmospheric effects, and a reverence for nature’s grandeur.

Stuart spent significant time in Portland, Oregon, where he became a foundational figure in the region’s developing art community and a founding member of the Portland Art Club. He traveled extensively, painting on-site and documenting the changing American landscape, including iconic scenes like Yellowstone’s geysers, California’s redwoods, and Oregon’s Mount Hood.

Ever innovative, Stuart experimented with alternative supports such as aluminum and wood, believing these would increase the longevity of his paintings. Though some of these materials later proved less durable, his legacy endures through his vast body of work and his contribution to Western American art.

His paintings are held in numerous public and private collections and continue to be sought after by collectors and historians for their historical value and evocative beauty.