James "Athenian" Stuart Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids James Stuart
James Stuart as a child, self-portrait
Born	1713 London
Died	(1788-02-02)2 February 1788 London
Nationality	Scottish
Occupation	Architect

Buildings	Interiors Spencer House, London Garden Buildings Shugborough Hall All Saints' Church Nuneham House

James Stuart, a famous architect, in an early painting.

James "Athenian" Stuart (born in 1713 – died February 2, 1788) was a Scottish expert in old buildings, an architect, and an artist. He is famous for helping to start a new style called Neoclassicism. This style brought back ideas from ancient Greek and Roman art and architecture.

James Stuart's Life and Work
Gallery of Works
See also

James Stuart's Life and Work

Early Years and Travels

James Stuart was born in London in 1713. His father, a sailor, passed away when James was young. Even though his family was poor, James showed great talent as an artist. He started working as an apprentice to a fan painter to help his family.

Around 1742, he managed to travel to Italy, even walking part of the way. There, he worked as a guide (called a cicerone) and a painter. He learned Latin, Italian, and Greek, and studied ancient Roman and Italian art and buildings. His first big project was an illustrated book about an ancient Egyptian monument in Rome. In Italy, he met Nicholas Revett, a young nobleman who was also interested in architecture.

Adventures in Greece

In 1748, Stuart joined Revett and other artists on a trip to Naples to study old ruins. From there, they traveled through the Balkans to Greece. They visited famous places like Salonica and Athens. They carefully measured and drew many ancient buildings, including an Ionic temple near the River Ilissus.

The Antiquities of Athens Book

An illustration from The Antiquities of Athens, published in 1762.

Stuart and Revett came back to London in 1755. They published their important book, The Antiquities of Athens and Other Monuments of Greece, in 1762. Over 500 people bought the first volume. Even though not many of them were architects, the book later helped start the Greek Revival style in European architecture.

The pictures in their book were some of the first of their kind. Experts and scholars loved the detailed drawings of ancient Greek buildings. In 1758, James Stuart was chosen to be a member of the Royal Society. This was a big honor for his work in history and architecture.

Designing in England

When Stuart returned to England, he also worked as an interior designer and architect. He designed the first metal tripod since ancient times. He also built and updated many country houses, garden buildings, and town houses. Some of his famous projects include Shugborough Hall, Hagley Hall, Spencer House, and the Temple of the Winds. He also created pictures for books and designed special medals and tomb monuments. He was even appointed as a surveyor for the Royal Naval Hospital in Greenwich.

Later Years and Legacy

James Stuart in his later years, around 1788.

James Stuart continued to work on his projects. He went back to working on The Antiquities of Athens, but it was not finished when he passed away in 1788. The last part of the book was published in 1816. By then, the Greek Revival style, which his book helped to create, was becoming very popular in British architecture.

Stuart died suddenly on February 2, 1788, at his home in London. He was buried nearby. His buildings in London helped make the Neo-classical style popular. His book, The Antiquities of Athens, was very important. It allowed architects and designers across Europe and America to use Neo-Classicism without having to travel to Greece themselves. It was a key source of ideas for nearly 200 years. In 2007, a special exhibition about his life and work was held at the Victoria and Albert Museum.