Background
Scott was born Eugene Montagu Scott, the youngest son of William Scott Resident Advisor and his wife Sarah née Myles in London and in the mid-1850s emigrated to Melbourne via New Zealand.
Scott was born Eugene Montagu Scott, the youngest son of William Scott Resident Advisor and his wife Sarah née Myles in London and in the mid-1850s emigrated to Melbourne via New Zealand.
And studied painting under the "celebrated painter Ansdel", presumably Richard Ansdell.
He spent some time prospecting for gold but found it unrewarding. While working for a photographic studio in Melbourne around 1860 he, like John A. Upton, was introduced by Doctor T. A. Hill to the art of photograph colouring. He moved to Sydney in 1866, initially working for the photographer Thomas Felton, then around 1867 he took over Freeman Brothers" photographic studios at 392 George Street, naming it the "Sydney and Melbourne Photographic Gallery".
He was appointed official photographer for Prince Alfred, the Duke of Edinburgh"s visit in 1868 and was commissioned by Henry Parkes to paint a full-size portrait of the Duke.
Photographs of the Duke were offered for sale to the public by both Montagu Scott and William Bradley of 140 Pitt Street. But by 1870 he was bankrupt and forced to sell his equipment and the business was taken over by Newman and Company
He produced some lithographs illustrating news items and in 1871 was the first artist to work for the Sydney Mail. Other lithographs included a souvenir of the return of the New South Wales contingent to the Sudan, featuring portraits of West. B. Dalley, Colonel Richardson and Lieutenant Spalding.
In 1878 he was on stage in Sydney, drawing "lightning" caricatures of such luminaries as Sir Hercules Robinson and Sir Henry Parkes, then in both Melbourne and Sydney, illustrating passages from the Scriptures.
He was cartoonist for Melbourne Punch for two years, succeeding M. Chevallier, then for Sydney Punch from 1866 to 1886 or perhaps less. notably caricatures of Archbishop Polding and Sir Edward Deas-Thomson. and for the Australian Town and Country Journal. An example of his work may be seen here."Champions of the Willow" Other paintings included The Death of Kennedy, A days picnic on Clark Island Sydney Harbour 1870 Montagu Scott (severely panned by one critic), and donated to the Mitchell Library in 1930, a grim Justice, and The Last Match. He also produced dioramas, illustrated books and acted in dramatic productions.
He moved to Brisbane in 1887, working for the Brisbane Worker as an illustrator for its sports pages, and for the Brisbane Boomerang.
He returned to Sydney around 1895. Work was becoming scarce as photographs displaced etchings in the newspapers and magazines and by 1908 he was again bankrupt.
Apart from Duke of Edinburgh (for which he charged 250 guineas), Scott also painted large oil portraits of: Richard Driver, M.L.A. in 1874 Sydney merchant South. Hoffnung Archbishop Polding John Deery of the Tattersalls Club. South. H. Hyam Member of Legislative Council in 1892 In later life his major commissions were for equine portraits.