John Stobart

“The Black Ball Packet “Orpheus leaving the east river in 1835“

John Stobart was a British maritime artist known for his paintings of American harbor scenes during the Golden Age of Sail. His fascination with the sea stemmed from childhood visits to his grandmother in Liverpool where he observed the city's busy docks. After graduation, he travelled to Africa with his father and made sketches of the 12 ports he visited there, inspiring him to pursue maritime art as a specialty. Stobart emigrated to Canada in 1957 where his paintings sold well to the various shipping companies on the St. Lawrence River. In 1965 he made his first visit to the U.S. and was offered a show at the Kennedy Galleries. Later, he established the Stobart Foundation to encourage traditional artists through scholarships. He moved in 2015 to Fort Lauderdale, Florida which is where he died in 2023 at the age of 93.