CHARLOTTETOWN, P.E.I. — His paintings depict rural life.
In one, a man and dog hunt wild fowl at the stream behind the W.J. Montgomery Farm in Port Hill.
Another, found on the back leaf of a Bible, shows a stand of lush, green trees.
These are works by Rev. William Stuart, a Scottish-born minister who served at the Presbyterian charge of West Cape, Campbellton and the Brae in western Prince County, P.E.I., from 1865-1870.
And, in his spare time, he loved to paint.
Kathryn (Jeffery) Bell remembers her mother, Jean Montgomery Jeffery, describing the artist’s practice.
“When he came to visit in Port Hill, each summer, he would take an easel and go out in the fields and paint the things around him. He must have been fascinated by nature,” said Bell, a Cornwall resident.
Last month, Anne (Montgomery) Neatby and Janet Whytock began the charge to find more of his works. The paintings and artifacts will be featured in an art show they are co-curating during the summer of 2020 at the Eptek Arts and Culture Centre in Summerside. The exhibition is being mounted by the P.E.I. Museum and Heritage Foundation.
“We know of 60 works. And we think there may be more,” said Neatby.
Besides the paintings, they have 10 artifacts, including his Bibles and a collection of children’s story books that he brought to grandchildren on P.E.I. during his last visit in 1914.
“They will be in a display case at the exhibit.”
They would like to hear form anyone who has knowledge, newspaper clippings, local historical notes or other information on Stuart from his time in the West Cape charge of the Presbyterian Church (now West Point).
Stuart, who died in Nutley, N.J., in 1916, is an artist of note. During the late 1800s on P.E.I., there were only a few artists doing local scenes, and Stuart was one of them, said Whytock.
He worked in all styles as he documented the landscape around him.
“You have this man with an interesting Scottish Canadian (background) who emerged during the late 1800s, early 1900s. Classically-trained, he picked up on styles around landscape in America; whereas English artists at that time were picking up French styles and more picturesque scenes.”
Many of his watercolours depict familiar farms, streams, shorelines and views from the Port Hill area.
For Neatby, putting together this exhibition of watercolours and oils is a dream come true.
She’s doing it in honour of her mother, the late Orell Montgomery, who collected every bit of genealogical information she could on Stuart. With her daughters’ help Montgomery had even put together a photo album of William Stuart’s paintings.
“So that became the basis of (this project). She thought that we should be sharing them with people. I’m thankful to all the cousins who helped."
Call for paintings
Anyone with newspaper clippings, historical notes or other information on Stuart is asked to contact Janet Whytock, 902-388-6656, [email protected] or Anne Neatby, 902-569-5858, [email protected] or the P.E.I. Museum and Heritage Foundation, 902-368-6600, [email protected].
An exhibition of paintings by Rev. William Stuart will be mounted at the Eptek Arts and Culture Centre in Summerside in 2020
