A Life Between Germany and Britain
Born in Hamburg, Germany, John William Bottomley was a painter of German-British origin. His artistic education began under Leo Lehmann, followed by studies at the Kunstakademie Düsseldorf, where he was a student of the history painter Karl Ferdinand Sohn and attended the building class of Karl Friedrich Schäffer. He later moved to the Kunstakademie in Munich, studying under Peter von Cornelius and Wilhelm Kaulbach.
His travels included a study trip to Tirol and a period in Rome, where he shared a residence with the sculptor Jens Adolf Jerichau. During his time in Rome, he painted subjects such as cows at a watering hole, grazing sheep, and fighting bulls in the Campagna. After returning to Hamburg, he became a teacher to Otto Speckter and eventually established himself as a successful animal painter in London.
Artistic Focus and Later Years
Bottomley’s work often blended folk life with emotive animal depictions. His subject matter evolved to include landscapes, which he frequently painted and completed directly in nature. His travels took him to Sussex, Wales, and Ireland, and he often accompanied hunting parties into the Scottish Highlands.
In his later years, following the death of his wife, Bottomley experienced deep depression and sought to return to Germany. He spent time in Hamburg and Copenhagen before settling in Schleswig, where he lived until his death. His son, Reginald Bottomley, also pursued a career as an animal painter.
