Johann Friedrich Voltz

Born. 31.10.1817 in Nördlingen
Died. 25.06.1886 in Munich

Landscape painter at the Munich School

About the Artist

Johann Friedrich Voltz was born on 31 October 1817.  He was introduced to art by his father who was a painter. He studied at the Academy in Munich in 1834, where he was mainly interested in Dutch fine art and other landscape art being exhibited at the Pinakothek Museum. He was influenced by Albrecht Adam, Carl Spitzweg, and Eduard Schleich the Elder. Whilst working as an etcher and lithographer, he painted landscapes of the Bavarian high mountains in his free time.

After seeing the painting of The Young Bull by Paulus Potter in Holland in 1841, he turned his focus to animal painting, spending his time in fields painting farm animals grazing or drinking. In 1846 he travelled through Belgium and Holland and was influenced by the works of Christian Morgenstern and Eduard Schleich. His numerous landscapes with animal scenery changed with more emphasis on light and shadows which created more drama and an improved visual impact.

Johann Friedrich Voltz died on 25 June 1886 in Munich