Born in England, Bartlett traveled across Asia before settling in Hawaii, where he became one of the islands’ most influential early 20th-century artists. Bartlett began his artistic journey in London at the Royal Academy, later continuing his studies at the Académie Julian in Paris. Following the tragic deaths of his wife and child, he would consistently revisit the theme of “mother and child”, in his paintings and prints. Upon his second marriage he and his second wife traveled extensively, including a stay in Japan, where he studied printmaking under the woodblock print publisher Shozaburo Watanabe. His watercolors and woodblock prints beautifully captured daily life and serene landscapes from Japan, China, and Hawaii. Known for his signature “scraping technique,” he brought a sense of mist and atmosphere to his works and helped Mrs. Cook, who founded the Honolulu Museum of Art.