EDMUND HENRY OSTHAUS

Edmund Henry Osthaus was born in Hildsheim, Germany and began his early studies at the Royal Academy in Dusseldorf. He emigrated to the United States in 1883 and by 1886 he had become principal of the Toledo Academy of Fine Art. Known primarily for his depictions of sporting dogs, the artist's quality never varied.

As one of the few American sporting painters, he was greatly admired by wealthy families such as the Vanderbilts and the Morgans. Such families commissioned large scenes in order to decorate large and spacious walls in their grand homes.

The hunting scene is significant among the artist's works. Rarely did Osthaus include more than one or two dogs in his composition. This work draws the viewer in such a way that we can almost hear the yelping and splashing through the muddy stream, smell the dew in the morning air and feel the intensity and excitement of the moment.