It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of John Stobart, one of the world’s most renowned maritime artists, on March 2, 2023. He was 93 years old.
Born in Leicester, England, John was surrounded by beautiful countryside, and developed an early appreciation for the landscape — he always considered himself a landscape painter at heart. But at the age of 8, a visit to his grandmother’s home in the North allowed him an excursion to the port of Liverpool — at the time, the busiest port in England. This sparked his lifelong desire to capture the excitement of world trade that comes to life in a port. Stobart would go on to study at the Derby College of Art and the Royal Academy in London, where he developed his skills in composition and perspective.
After that first exposure to a busy port, John’s passion for the sea and ships grew, and led him to pursue a career in maritime art. Shortly after completing his service in the Royal Air Force, John received a gift from his father: a ticket to board a ship destined for Cape Town, South Africa — his first ocean voyage. The adventure provided the young artist with a detailed understanding of how ships and ports function on a daily basis. It was around this time that Stobart first had the idea that British shipping companies might be interested in paintings of their ships in exotic port cities … not only was he right, but this idea laid the foundation for Stobart’s entire body of work.
By the early 1960s, shipping companies weren’t just buying his paintings, they were commissioning his work, and sponsoring his travel overseas. If you ever had the chance to speak with John, he would likely tell you his life “was a series of miracles.” One of the most notable of these miracles happened early on in his career. On a train ride from Toronto to New York City, Stobart unknowingly befriended Donald Holden, the editor of American Artist Magazine. That unlikely meeting would lead him to Kennedy Galleries, which would go on to host Stobart’s first solo exhibition in 1967.
Stobart became known for his meticulous attention to detail, and his incredible ability to capture the atmosphere and mood of historic ports. He quickly gained a reputation as one of the best in his field, and he was soon exhibiting his paintings in galleries throughout North America and Europe.
John believed to his core that the U.S. was the best country in the world. But upon meeting him, you would immediately know that he was an Englishman. He never lost his English accent, and he would “pour it on” anytime he got into a scrape, like the time he did a U-turn while driving through a pedestrian opening in a median, thinking it was for that purpose. “Yes, Constable,” he said as he looked up at the California CHiP that pulled him over shortly after. John knew he belonged in the U.S., but he never lost his love of Mother England — the countryside, the manners, and the tea. He remained a British citizen until his death.
Having emigrated to Canada in 1955, John began his family with his first wife, Kay, in England, where the children would get some of the influence of English ways. But they spent the winters in Canada, where John could pursue professional opportunities there and in the U.S. In 1970, Stobart emigrated to the U.S., and settled in the coastal town of Darien, Conn. Later, while the family was living in the Washington, D.C., area, he established the Atlantic Gallery — the first of five galleries — near his Georgetown studio. He continued to produce stunning works that captured the imagination of collectors and enthusiasts alike. His compositions often feature views of iconic locations such as Boston Harbor, New York Harbor, San Francisco Bay, and many others; his paintings are not just works of art but also records of a bygone era.
While Stobart enjoyed making his ships and structures historically precise, he could not hold back his deep love for friends and family. Consistently throughout his oeuvre, Stobart renamed dinghies and portside shops after those who meant the most to him. His later works are also fondly known for their inclusion of a well-hidden wine bottle. Relatedly, John would routinely tell the tale of the time his son, Bill, exclaimed that a supposedly completed painting was, in fact, incomplete, as his father forgot the bottle! John had not realized Bill was paying such close attention, and from then on, it became their little game. Though these details are subtle, they are incredibly meaningful, and a testament to the kind of person John Stobart was.
In 1978, John played a pivotal role as one of the founding members and vice president of the American Society of Marine Arts (ASMA), a distinguished organization dedicated to acknowledging, fostering, and advancing the field of marine art and maritime history. Through its various initiatives, the ASMA aims to promote collaboration and open dialogue among artists, art teachers, art students, publishers, and other individuals engaged in creative pursuits that pertain to marine art and the rich history surrounding it.
Over the course of his career, Stobart received numerous awards and honors for his contributions to the art world; among them was his election to the prestigious National Academy of Design in New York, and the Royal Society of Marine Artists in 1979. During the 1990s, the government of Bermuda acknowledged him with the Order of Merit for his impact on that island’s maritime heritage. In 1997, he was awarded an honorary doctorate from the Marine Maritime Academy, and the American Society of Marine Artists presented him with the Award of Excellence, the society’s highest honor. In 2008, he returned home to Derby, U.K., where he was awarded an Honorary Doctor of Letters from the University of Derby (which had subsumed the Derby College of Art years earlier).
In addition to his artistic achievements, Stobart was a generous philanthropist. He established the Stobart Foundation to support recently graduated artists in their transition to becoming professional artists — particularly those who were influenced by the history and tradition of the plein-air painters. From personal experience, Stobart recognized that this time is crucial in an artist’s development. His goal was to offer an environment of support and provide financial assistance at a time when artists’ energies and resources are at their lowest point. Despite his overwhelming success, John remained humble and approachable, and he was widely admired for his generosity.
In the spirit of plein air, John created “John Stobart’s WorldScape” in 1993. Here other artists and viewers could accompany John in person to locations both locally and in Europe to create paintings from scratch. Often there would be a guest artist painting the same scene in tandem. John would often say in fun about his own paintings, “Just six easy lessons.” Here the viewer could watch the process from beginning to end. Originally aired on PBS, the series can now be viewed on YouTube.
John spent summers on Martha’s Vineyard in a house he designed and built near Cow Bay, off Beach Road in Edgartown, from 1982 to ’97. He also designed and built the John Stobart Gallery, formerly at 31 North Summer St. in Edgartown, where he showed his work at openings for many years. His desire to depict the whaling era figured prominently in his paintings, and so having galleries on Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket was particularly fitting.
John Stobart’s legacy will live on through his paintings, which will continue to inspire artists and captivate audiences for generations to come, as well as through the works of the Stobart Foundation recipients.
He is survived by his wife Anne, whose devotion to the man and his career was unbounded; his three children with his deceased first wife, Kay Stobart: Diana Wild, Elizabeth Stobart, and Bill Stobart; his son-in-law Fred Wild, daughter-in-law Sherry Stobart, three grandchildren, Sam, Lilly, and Zoe; and three great-grandchildren, Layana, Lucas, and Reggie. He will be deeply missed by his family, friends, and the countless people around the world who admired his work and were touched by his kindness.
Donations in Stobart’s memory may be made to the Stobart Foundation, online at stobartfoundation.org.
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