A sporting painter’s life is etched in time. This John Sartorius Plaque marks where John Francis Sartorius lived. He was an English painter of horses. He painted horse-racing and hunting scenes. John Francis Sartorius was a member of the Sartorius family of artists.
John Francis was the son of John Nott Sartorius. His grandfather was Francis Sartorius. Francis Sartorius Jr. was his younger brother. He was a marine artist.
John Francis Sartorius wasn’t as successful as his father. However, he knew a lot about sport. This knowledge shows in his sporting pictures. John Francis first exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1802. He lived at 17 King Street, Holborn then. He sent occasional contributions until 1827. He exhibited 16 pictures in total.
Several of his paintings were engraved. They appeared in The Sporting Magazine. His father’s works were in the same magazine. John Scott engraved for both of them. It is hard to tell the son’s pictures from the father’s. Many plates were signed only “Sartorius”.
One of his best-known pictures is “Coursing in Hatfield Park.” It was shown at the Royal Academy in 1806. It shows Emily Cecil. She was the Marchioness of Salisbury. She rode daily in the park. She did this until she was eighty-six.
The Sartorius family was quite the artistic bunch. Let’s go back a bit further. John Sartorius lived from about 1700 to about 1780. He was an Anglo-German animal painter. He was the first of four generations of Sartorius artists. Don’t mix him up with his great-grandson, John Francis Sartorius.
John Sartorius was born in Nuremberg, Germany. His father was Jacob Christopher Sartorius. Jacob Christopher was an engraver in Nuremberg. We don’t know when John left Bavaria. He eventually settled in England.
Around 1722, John painted his first important picture. It was for Thomas Panton. It showed a famous mare named “Molly.” She had only lost one race. That race cost her her life. He also painted “Looby” for the Duke of Bolton in 1735. In 1741, he painted “Old Traveller” for William Osbaldeston. He painted “Careless” for the Duke of Kingston in 1758.
He only showed one picture at the Society of Artists. But he showed 62 works at the Free Society of Artists. In 1780, he showed a horse portrait at the Royal Academy. John Sartorius lived in London. His address was 108 Oxford Street.
His son Francis Sartorius was also a painter. He also painted horses. Francis lived from 1734 to 1804. John Nost Sartorius was also part of this family. He was the son of Francis Sartorius. John Nost lived from 1759 to 1828.
The John Sartorius Plaque reminds us of this family. They painted horses and hunting scenes. They left a mark on the art world. They captured the spirit of their time. The plaque honors John Francis Sartorius. He lived here from 1807 to 1812. Remember him and his family. They brought sporting life to canvas.