Janet Agnes Cumbrae Stewart b. 1883 Brighton, Melbourne, Victoria

Also known as Janet Cumbrae-Stewart
  • Artist (Draughtsman) , (Painter)
Early 20th century Melbourne painter and pastellist.
Talk | Version history | Updated Oct. 19, 2011 | Created Jan. 1, 1995
Name
Janet Agnes Cumbrae Stewart
Also known as Janet Cumbrae-Stewart
Birth date
23 December 1883
Birth place
Brighton, Melbourne, Victoria
Death date
8 September 1960
Death place
South Yarra, Melbourne, Victoria
Gender
Female
Roles
  • Artist (Draughtsman)
  • Artist (Painter)
Residence
  • 1939- 1947 Melbourne, Victoria
  • 1947- 8 September 1960 Margaret Street, South Yarra, Melbourne, Victoria
  • Caen, France
  • Avignon, France
  • Laiguelia on the Riviera de Pononte, Northern Italy
  • Canada
  • c.1922- c.1939 London, England, UK
  • c.1901- c.1922 Melbourne, Victoria
  • c.23 December 1883- c.1901 Brighton, Melbourne, Victoria
Languages
  • English
Training
  • 1901- 1907 National Gallery School, Melbourne
Is Indigenous
No
Initial Record Data Source
  • Heritage: The National Women's Art Book

painter, was born on 23 December 1883 in Brighton, Victoria, youngest of the ten children of Francis Edward Stewart and Agnes, née Park. (Like her brother Francis, Janet adopted the surname Cumbrae-Stewart, except that she omitted the hyphen – unlike most auction houses and writers.) After sketching trips with John Mather , she studied at the National Gallery School, Melbourne in 1901-7 under Bernard Hall and Frederick McCubbin . In 1905 she came second in the National Gallery’s Travelling Scholarship competition, the winner being Isaac Cohen . She was a member of the Council of the Victorian Artists’ Society in 1914-16 and exhibited regularly with it from 1909 to 1919. She also exhibited with the Queensland Art Society in 1912, 1914 and 1915. In 1914 she sent work to the Panama-Pacific Exposition at San Francisco, which won a silver medal. Between 1920 and 1937 she exhibited at the Athenaeum Gallery, Melbourne.

In 1922 Cumbrae Stewart travelled to London with her sister Beatrice and began exhibiting at the Beaux Arts Gallery (1924-31), the Royal Academy, the Regent Gallery (Glasgow) and at the Old Salon, Paris, where in 1923 she was awarded an honourable mention. She travelled throughout Europe and to Canada. During her seventeen-year stay in Europe she lived at Chelsea, London, Avignon, Caen (France) and Laiguelia on the Riviera de Pononte, Northern Italy. She returned to Australia to visit her family in 1939 and remained when World War II broke out. From 1947 until her death on 8 September 1960 she lived at Margaret Street, South Yarra with her lifelong companion, Miss Argemore ffarington ('Bill’) Bellairs.

Writers:
Kerr, Joan
Date written:
1995
Last updated:
2011
associate of
L. Bernard Hall
1859
Artist (Painter)
associate of
Isaac Michael Cohen
1884
Artist (Painter)
associate of
Frederick McCubbin
Non-Artist/Designer/Curator
associate of
John Mather
Non-Artist/Designer/Curator
child of
Francis Edward Stewart
Non-Artist/Designer/Curator
child of
née Park Agnes Stewart
Non-Artist/Designer/Curator
sibling of
Beatrice Stewart
Non-Artist/Designer/Curator
associate of
Bill Argemore ffarington Bellair
Non-Artist/Designer/Curator
spouse of
Bill Argemore ffarington Bellairs
Non-Artist/Designer/Curator
associate of
Edith Annie Mary Alsop
1871
Artist (Cartoonist / Illustrator), Artist (Printmaker), Artist (Painter)
associate of
Constance Lillian Jenkins
1883
Artist (Painter)
associate of
Helen Dora Lempriere
1907
Artist (Draughtsman), Artist (Printmaker), Artist (Sculptor), Artist (Painter)
associate of
Jessie Mackintosh
1892
Artist (Photographer), Artist (Printmaker), Artist (Painter)
associate of
Mary Mercer
1882
Artist (Painter)
associate of
Jessie Traill
1881
Artist (Printmaker), Artist (Painter)
associate of
Charles Arthur Wheeler
1880
Artist (Painter)
associate of
Janie Wilkinson Whyte
1869
Artist (Printmaker), Artist, Artist (Painter)
associate of
Council of the Victorian Artists' Society
Non-Artist/Designer/Curator
Seated Nude
Lombardy Farm
None
Courtesy of: Eva Breuer Art Dealer
Untitled (Nude)
Medium
Pastel on paper
33 x 25.5cm (sight size)
Collections
the Regent Gallery
None
Exhibition (exhibited at)
Glasgow, Scotland, UK
Royal Academy
None
Exhibition (exhibited at)
Burlington House, Piccadilly, London, England, UK
Beaux Arts Gallery
1924- 1931
Exhibition (exhibited at)
London, England, UK
Old Salon
1923
Exhibition (exhibited at)
Paris, France
1920- 1937
Exhibition (exhibited at)
Athenaeum Gallery, Melbourne, Victoria
Queensland Art Society
1915
Exhibition (exhibited at)
Brisbane, Queensland
Queensland Art Society
1914
Exhibition (exhibited at)
Brisbane, Queensland
Panama-Pacific International Exhibition
1914- 1915
Exhibition ()
San Francisco, CA, USA
Queensland Art Society
1912
Exhibition (exhibited at)
Brisbane, Queensland
Victorian Artists' Society
1909- 1919
Exhibition (exhibited at)
VAS Gallery, East Melbourne, Victoria
Recognitions
honourable mention
Award
1923, Old Salon, Paris
Note: Silver medal
second
Award
National Gallery's Travelling Scholarship competition 1905
Panama-Pacific Exposition
1914
Award
Citations:
  • (2001), Early Australian Painters, (Place: catalogue of exhibition 25 May-15 June, Bridget McDonnell Gallery, Carlton)
  • (2002), Deutscher Menzies auction, (Place: 05, 01, lot 111 est. $10,000-15,000 - under 'Cumbrae-Stewart')
  • (1966), Janet Agnes Cumbrae Stewart', (Place: Australian Dcitionary of Bioragphy, vol.8)
  • Dolman, Bernard (ed.), (1981), A Dictionary of Contemporary British Artists 1929, (Place: reprint Woodbridge (UK))
  • Shirlow, John, (1921), The Pastels of Cumbrae Stewart, (Place: Melbourne)
  • Moore, William, (1934), The Story of Australian Art, (Place: Sydney)
  • Landells, Rosalind, (1966), 'Cumbrae Stewart our most celebrated daughter', (Place: Southern Cross (Melbourne), 06, 08)
  • Brown, Julie K. / Maynard, Margaret, (1980), Fine Art Exhibitions in Brisbane 1884-1916, (Place: St Lucia (Qld))
  • Ashton, Howard, (1919), 'Cumbrae Stewart', (Place: Art in Australia, vol. 6)
  • Burke, Janine, (1980), Australian Women Artists 1840-1940, (Place: Collingwood (Vic.))
See also:
  • Janet Cumbrae Stewart, Self Portrait, pastel (p.c.). Courtesy Christie's Australia