James ‘Athenian’ Stuart

It did not begin well for the gentry’s future arbiter of taste. Born in London, James Stuart lost his father (a Scottish sailor) when he was just a boy, and his family were left in poverty. He was saved by precocious artistic talent, finding work painting fans. Eventually, Stuart had enough money to travel to Italy to develop his classical learning and artistry – although only enough money to make the tough journey on foot. In Rome, Stuart learned Latin, Greek, and Italian, and acquired sufficient expertise to work as a learned guide to Grand Tourists. This led to a chance meeting with Nicholas Revett, which proved the turning point in Stuart’s life. Together, they would visit first