James Hope Stewart

James Hope Stewart of Slodahill (2 August 1789 – 20 July 1856) was a Scottish natural history artist, known for his paintings for Sir William Jardine's 40 volume series The Naturalist's Library.

About 1816 he married Helen Bell (1792-1864); they lived at Gillenbie,[2] Applegarthtown in Dumfries and Galloway, and had twelve children, ten sons and two daughters.

[1] There is confusion in the literature with a different James Stewart (engraver) (1791-1863), an artist in the Royal Scottish Academy from 1829, who emigrated to South Africa in 1833 and died there.

[1] Stewart is best known for his work preparing a long series of natural history illustrations for Sir William Jardine's 40 volume The Naturalist's Library.

It is also recorded that Stewart disliked having to paint mammals, but was prevailed upon by Lizars to draw a St Bernard dog for Sir Thomas Lauder.

Drawing of a 'Lettered Serramus' ( Serranus scriba ) by James Hope Stewart for Sir William Jardine 's The Naturalist's Library , 1833–1843.
Watercolour drawing "The American Bison " by James Hope Stewart, 1836. Stewart had never seen a living bison.