John Sartorius facts for kids
John Sartorius (born around 1700, died around 1780) was a talented artist who painted animals. He was born in Germany but later moved to England. John was the first of four generations of the famous Sartorius family of artists. They were all known for their amazing paintings, especially of horses! It's important not to mix him up with his great-grandson, who was also named John Francis Sartorius.
His Artistic Journey
John Sartorius was born in Nuremberg, Germany. His family had a long history of artists. His father, Jacob Christopher Sartorius, was an engraver in Nuremberg. We don't know exactly when John left Germany and moved to England.
John became very popular for painting racehorses, hunting horses, and other animals involved in sports. One of his first important paintings was around 1722. It showed a famous mare (a female horse) named "Molly." This horse was so fast that she had never lost a race, except for the one where she sadly died.
John also painted other famous racehorses. These included "Looby" in 1735 for the Duke of Bolton, "Old Traveller" in 1741 for Mr. William Osbaldeston, and "Careless" in 1758 for the Duke of Kingston.
Exhibiting His Work
John Sartorius didn't show many paintings at the Society of Artists. However, he displayed many of his artworks, 62 in total, at the Free Society of Artists. In 1780, he showed a painting of a horse at the Royal Academy in London. John lived in London at 108 Oxford Street.
His son, Francis Sartorius (1734–1804), learned from him and also became a well-known painter of horses.
