LeConte Stewart

LeConte Stewart was born in April 15, 1891 in Glenwood, Utah. LeConte was interested in art from a young age. Each day, after class at his local elementary school ended, he would take a paper and pencil and head out into nature where he would sketch flora and fauna all year round.  LeConte’s early interest in drawing nature would continue into his adult life and would provide a basis for the art he is best known for.

LeConte’s art education began early in his life – at Richfield Elementary School. Choosing the fine arts as a career path wasn’t looked upon with approving eyes in LeConte’s hometown. However, one teacher at LeConte’s school noticed his talent and decided to help him nurture it. When LeConte and his family moved to Rexburg, Idaho, LeConte attended Ricks Academy where he received recognition for his artistic abilities. Following his primary education, LeConte attended the University of Utah and took classes from Edwin Evans – a renowned landscape artist. After he completed his education at the U of U, LeConte moved to New York where he studied at the Art Students League in Manhattan, and the Woodstock Art School in Woodstock, NY.

Post-education, LeConte Stewart returned to Utah where he pursued art-related careers. He worked as a sign-painter, engraver, and freelance illustrator – among other things. LeConte also began teaching 7^th grade at a school in Kaysville, Utah. In 1922, after doing some work in Hawaii and Canada for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, LeConte and his wife, Zipporah, returned to Utah and settled in Kaysville where they lived for the next sixty-seven years. LeConte continued to paint and teach art at various schools around Utah and became head of the art department at the University of Utah in 1938. After he retired, in 1956, LeConte Stewart continued to teach students and inspire new generations of artists. He passed away June 6, 1990 at the age of 99. 

LeConte Stewart is best known for his portrayals of the Utah landscape. Many consider him to be Utah’s most important landscape painter. However, LeConte differed from many other Utah landscape painters in that he didn’t paint the wonderous landscapes of Utah’s national parks or flowing rivers. Instead, LeConte focused on the land near his own home in Kaysville. He painted the landscapes of Davis, Morgan, Weber, and Salt Lake counties. LeConte wanted to focus on the everyday life of farmers and workmen instead of the grandiose monuments of Zion or Bryce Canyon. His paintings also lacked an abundance of drama. Rarely would he paint threating weather conditions – blizzards, thunderstorms and lighting, or tornadoes – but instead he would portray the calm, clear skies that were characteristic of Utah. LeConte also focused for a time on painting the urban scenes of the Great Depression. Many of these scenes focused on people, but had settings in dirty alleys, bleak industrial areas, and dim railroad yards. These works, although different from his traditional style, added flair and variety to LeConte Stewart’s portfolio.