Charles James Lewis was a painter of landscapes and domestic subjects, rustic genre and angling scenes. He was very popular in his time, and was known as being a swift and prolific painter. He often painted on a smaller scale, depicting bucolic scenes, with children as the focal point.

Lewis was a regular exhibitor at the Royal Academy (1853-1890) and at the British Institute, the Society of British Artists, the New Watercolour Society, Grosvenor Gallery, and the New Gallery amongst others. He was elected a member of the RI in 1882.