John Nost Sartorius

JOHN NOST SARTORIUS

Westminster 1759 – 1828 Kennington

John Nost Sartorius was the most prolific member of the Sartorius family, artists of German descent. His grandfather John (fl. eighteenth century), father Francis (1733/4-1804) and son John Francis (1779-1831) were also sporting painters, while his sons Francis II (1781-after 1808) and Charles James (1794-after 1821) were marine artists.

John Nost Sartorius painted primarily portraits of horses, dogs, cattle and deer, as well as racing and hunting scenes, particularly the Quorn and Belvoir hunts. From 1776 until 1824 Sartorius exhibited at the Free Society, the Society of Artists and the Royal Academy.  Many of his paintings were engraved and several of his works were published in The Sporting Magazine.

Much of Sartorius’s time was spent at an inn at Carshalton in Surrey and he frequently worked at Newmarket, where many of his paintings can still be seen at the Jockey Club. Sartorius travelled widely to paint animal portraits on patrons’ estates. His patrons included the Prince of Wales, the Earl of Derby (for whom he worked at Newmarket and Knowsley, Lancashire), Lord Foley (at Epsom and in Herefordshire), the Duke of Cleveland (at Raby Castle, Co. Durham) and Charles James Fox. Although much in demand at the height of his career, Sartorius died leaving an estate of only £20.