Osthaus - "Two Setters and a Pointer" Realistic oil painting of two pointer dogs and an irish setter in a field

Edmund Osthaus • American: 1858-1928

Two Setters and a Pointer • Oil on Canvas 26” x 36”

Mexican peasants gathered at the Veracruz docks as a brightly dressed European Archduke walked down the gangplank of a majestic sailing ship flying the flag of France. Archduke Maximilian had come at the direction of the Emperor Napolean III to rule over Mexico. Behind him was a well-appointed group of wealthy Europeans bent on living a life of noblesse oblige on the parched dirt of Mexico. Within 3 years Archduke Maximilian had been executed, his wife driven mad, and his courtly followers sent scurrying across the Rio Grande. The Osthaus family had arrived in America.

Edmund Osthaus was a grizzly, muscle-bound man who resembled Paul Bunyan, but he was a patrician artist who would not have been caught dead in a north woods lumber camp. Instead he spent his life both painting and partaking in aristocratic pursuits. His chosen companions were well-bred spaniels and retrievers rather than blue oxen. And rather than slashing his way through stands of timber he spent his days painting these dogs in a delicate but (ahem) manly style.

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It’s unlikely that Edmund Osthaus ever pondered his role in the modernist revolution roiling the art world around him. He always remained loyal to the realistic style he developed as a young art student working under the watchful eye of Christian Kroner, a renowned German painter of animals and outdoor scenes.

In America, Osthaus taught in Toledo, Ohio, and was instrumental in establishing the Toledo Museum of Art. Meanwhile, his paintings of well-bred hunting dogs had gained national recognition and were sought out by wealthy collectors. His wealth from these paintings supported a life spent roaming his Ohio and Florida hunting lands in pursuit of the elusive bobwhite quail and always in the company of his award-winning dogs. It was a noble pursuit for a man born and bred to a privileged life. different angle. A man unsatisfied with conventional choices. By the time he died on the cusp of World War II, he had become an American Master, in both art and life.

Canton Museum of Art Permanent Collection • Anonymous Donor 77.82

4 Ways to Sound Smart When Viewing at The Canton Museum of Art

1.
“Had he followed his father’s wishes, he wouldn’t have been an artist, but an architect. Umm, sorry dad, I’m going to paint dogs instead.”

2.
“While studying art in Germany, his parents emigrated to Mexico and were nearly killed. Upon their escape they sent for their son to join them in the States.”

3.
“Osthaus was an entertaining dinner guest. He once sketched a dog’s head onto a tablecloth at a friend’s request. It was his last work as he died just days later.”

4.
“The hunter has become the hunted, as an ‘Osthaus’ has proven to fetch a large sum at auction, with some sales reaching six figures.”

Osthaus Timeline. Scroll over images to see timeline.

1858

Born in Hildesheim, Germany, to a prosperous farmer and an English mother. He began sketching farm animals at a young age.

1874-1882

Studied in Dusseldorf at the Royal Academy of Arts, where he was greatly influenced by Christian Kroner, a prominent wildlife painter and landscapist.

1883

While still in Germany, his parents emigrated to Mexico, along with Archduke Maximilian, in an attempt to establish a German dynasty there. Maximilian was executed soon after an ostentatious landing, and his parents narrowly escaped across the Rio Grande. Osthaus joined his fleeing parents in Oshkosh, Wisconsin.

1885

On a fishing trip in Wisconsin, he met Ohio writer David R. Locke, an art lover. Locke persuaded him to return with him to Toledo so that Locke could help him gain more recognition as an artist.

1886-1893

Locke held up his end of the bargain, as he founded the Toledo Academy of Fine Arts and appointed Osthaus as the head instructor. Osthaus stayed in that position for seven years.

1892

He married Charlotte Becker and started a family.

Late 1890s

His paintings came into great demand by wealthy families such as the Vanderbilts and Morgans. His paintings chronicling National Field Trial Championships were published by the DuPont Powder Company, earning him fame among the general public.

Early 1900s

While a highly-successful artist, he switched gears and devoted his life to his dogs. An avid hunter, Osthaus and his dogs competed in field trials. Later he became a judge and key member of the National Field Trial Association.

1901-1911

Helped establish the Toledo Museum of Art and served as a trustee there for 10 years.

1928

Died in his sleep at his Florida hunting lodge.

2006

Nearing bankruptcy, Dana Corp sold their large collection of Osthaus paintings that decorated its Toledo headquarters for decades. Included in the collection was Waiting for Master, sold for $108,000 at auction.