Background
He grew up in Glasgow, served in the British Army, and immigrated to United States around 1861.
He grew up in Glasgow, served in the British Army, and immigrated to United States around 1861.
According to an account of his life written by Stuart, he had studied engineering and medicine before enlisting in the English Army in the Crimean War and the Indian Mutiny.
Since then lived and worked on the East Coast of the United States. In the United States he served in the Marines and the Navy (Union) until 1866. Since then he worked as an artist and illustrator.
In the United States., Stuart worked primarily on navy bases and shipyards near the Delaware River.
He also worked quite a bit in Washington, Philadelphia, and New New York After resigning from the Navy, Stuart began working as an artist and illustrator for the merchant shipbuilding companies.
His first employer was John Roach & Son in Chester, for whom he worked from 1872 to 1880. He later worked for Harlan & Hollingsworth in Wilmington, Delaware.
During this period Stuart produced numerous illustrations of early iron steamships built by these firms.
These images became valuable documentary sources for this era of shipbuilding in the United States., giving Stuart"s work added value. In 1882, Stuart went to New York, seeking to earn a name and living as an artist in the city. This move did not prove successful.
A year later, he moved to Florida.
There, he first settled in Saint Augustine and then moved to Eustis where he worked as a physician for nearly a year. In 1886, Stuart moved again to the Wilmington area and stayed there until 1895.
His financial condition in the final years of his life saw a decline, but he painted marine subjects until his death in 1898.