Janet Cumbrae Stewart facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Janet Cumbrae Stewart
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Self-portrait, 1911
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| Born |
Janet Agnes Stewart
23 December 1883 |
| Died | 8 September 1960 (aged 76) |
| Nationality | Australian |
| Education | Melbourne National Gallery School |
| Known for | Painting |
| Partner(s) | Miss Argemore ffarington "Bill" Bellairs |
Janet Cumbrae Stewart (born December 23, 1883 – died September 8, 1960) was a talented Australian painter. She is known for her beautiful artworks, especially her portraits and landscapes. Janet spent many years in the 1920s and 1930s painting in different countries like Britain, France, and Italy.
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Janet Cumbrae Stewart's Early Life
Janet Agnes Stewart was born on December 23, 1883, in Brighton, Victoria, Australia. She was the youngest of ten children. Her family later added "Cumbrae" to their name. Janet used "Cumbrae Stewart" as her professional name. This helped her to be seen as a serious artist, not just a woman artist.
Janet and her sisters were taught at home by a governess. She also learned drawing from Zena Beatrice Selwyn. As a teenager, Janet joined landscape painter John Mather and his students for outdoor sketching trips.
From 1903 to 1908, Janet studied at the Melbourne National Gallery School. Her teachers were Lindsay Bernard Hall and Frederick McCubbin. She won many awards during her time there.
Starting Her Art Career
After finishing art school, Janet rented a place in Melbourne and started showing her art. She took part in the first Exhibition of Women's Work in Melbourne in 1907. She also showed her art with the Victorian Artists Society from 1908 to 1920.
Janet also exhibited with other art groups like the Queensland Art Society and the Melbourne Society of Women Painters and Sculptors. Her first solo art show was in 1911 at the Coles Book Arcade gallery in Collins Street. Famous artists like Bernard Hall and Rupert Bunny bought her paintings. She often held solo shows in Melbourne, Sydney, and South Australia.
Painting in Europe
In 1922, Janet Cumbrae Stewart traveled to England with her sister, Beatrice. On the ship, she was very busy painting portraits for other passengers. The ship's captain even gave her a small studio space. The journey ended with a small art show on the ship.
Before leaving Australia, Janet sent some of her artworks ahead. But when they arrived in England, most of them were damaged. She quickly needed a studio to create new paintings.
Her first solo exhibition in London was in February 1923 at Walkers Galleries. It was a huge success! Many important people from London society came to see her work. Janet received many requests for portraits. Even Queen Mary visited her 1924 exhibition. The Queen praised Janet's work and chose a painting for the Royal Collection. This painting is still there today.
Janet lived and worked in Chelsea until 1928. During this time, her art was shown in famous galleries in Paris, London, and Glasgow. She even represented Australia at the British Empire Exhibition in Wembley in 1924.
Janet continued to hold solo exhibitions in Australia while she was living in Europe. She traveled around the UK, France, and Italy. She once told an Australian magazine that she traveled alone in Europe. She preferred slow goods trains to enjoy the scenery more.
Around 1929, Janet moved her studio to Italy. This might have been because of the Great Depression, which was affecting England. She continued to paint, and one of her landscapes was bought by the Museo del Novecento in Milan.
In 1934, Janet moved to Villeneuve, near Avignon, France. She lived in an old mansion on a hill overlooking Avignon.
Her last European exhibition was in 1936 at Walker's Gallery in London. She returned to Australia in 1937 with her friend, Miss Argemore ffarrington "Bill" Bellairs. She had been away for 14 years.
Later Years and Legacy
When Janet returned to Australia, she was 54 years old. She lived with Bill Bellairs in South Yarra and at her property in Hurstbridge. She held only two more solo exhibitions before she passed away in 1960.
Janet Cumbrae Stewart continued painting until her death. Her last painting was a portrait of her nephew, Ean. She died on September 8, 1960, in Melbourne.
Janet Cumbrae Stewart's artworks are now in major art collections in Australia, London, and Milan. Even though many of her works are not always on display, there has been new interest in her art. This is part of an effort to recognize more female artists in Australian art history.
Janet Cumbrae Stewart helped change how women artists were seen. She was one of the first Australian women artists to be considered as skilled as her male colleagues. This opened doors for future generations of women in art. She was also incredibly talented with pastels, a difficult medium to master. Her ability to show the human body's subtle shapes and tones with pastels was truly special.
