Brett attended the School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston where under the direction of Philip Hale and Frank Benson he honed his artistic skills.
An example of Brett's keen sense of narrative and human form appeared on the cover of the June 2, 1906, issue of Harper’s Weekly in black and white.
Examples of his print success include reproduced oils and original drawings for the author Joseph C. Lincoln used to illustrate several publications.
Brett's painting for the jacket cover to Rafael Sabatini novel Hounds Of God exemplifies his ability to capture on canvas human emotion and plot.
Brett sought to capture on canvas a moment suspended in time, often dealing with subject matter quintessential to American life.