Among the foremost members of the American art community in fin-de-siecle Paris, Julius Stewart excelled at painting portraits and figures, especially of celebrities and fashionable society types.

Born in Philadelphia, he was the son of William Hood Stewart, an affluent plantation owner who moved his family to Paris in 1865. Stewart's father was also a prominent art patron whose collection was especially strong in contemporary Spanish art, featuring examples of work by the painters Eduardo Zamacois, Mario Fortuny, and Raimundo de Madrozo, among others.

Stewart eventually studied under Zamacois and de Madrozo, as well as with the French history and genre painter Jean-Leon Gerome. Inspired by their example, he developed a colorful academic realist style which he applied to sparkling, large-scale depictions of the French upper classes. His work also includes outdoor nudes, genre scenes, and views of Venice.

He exhibited at the Paris Salon and at major international expositions, where he won many awards and prizes. Stewart received the French Legion of Honor in 1895 and was appointed an Officer in 1901.

Biography courtesy of Roughton Galleries, www.antiquesandfineart.com/roughton