Circassian Captives after William Allan. RSA collections
Elected RSA: 10 July 1829
James Stewart was born in Edinburgh in 1791. He was articled to Robert Scott as an engraver and studied drawing in the Trustees’ Academy.
His first independent plate was from Sir William Allan’s Tartar Robbers Dividing the Spoil. Whilst living in London he engraved The Pedlar and Hide and Seek from a picture by himself which was exhibited at the British Institution in 1829.
His skill as an engraver attracted the attention of David Wilkie, who appointed him to engrave several of his paintings, his great accomplishment undoubtedly being The Penny Wedding.
