John Emms (1844 – 1 November 1912) was an English artist.

Biography

Emms was born in

Blofield Blofield is a village and civil parish in the Broadland district of Norfolk, England. The parish includes Blofield and the hamlets of Blofield Heath and Blofield Corner and, according to the 2001 census, had a population of 3,221, increasing to ...

Norfolk Norfolk () is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in East Anglia in England. It borders Lincolnshire to the north-west, Cambridgeshire to the west and south-west, and Suffolk to the south. Its northern and eastern boundaries are the No ...

, the son of artist Henry William Emms. He became an avid hunter and became famous for his paintings of horses, and of dogs, particularly

foxhound A foxhound is a Dog type, type of large hunting hound bred for strong hunting instincts, a keen sense of smell, and their bark, energy, drive, and speed. In fox hunting, the foxhound's namesake, packs of foxhounds track quarry, followed—usuall ...

s and

terriers Terrier (from Latin ''terra'', 'earth') is a type of dog originally bred to hunt vermin. A terrier is a dog of any one of many breeds or landraces of the terrier type, which are typically small, wiry, game, and fearless. Terrier breeds vary g ...

. He exhibited at the Royal Academy several times, beginning in 1866. His paintings are signed “Jno Emms”. He married Fanny Primmer of

Lyndhurst, Hampshire Lyndhurst is a large village and civil parish situated in the New Forest National Park in Hampshire, England. Serving as the administrative capital of the New Forest, it is a popular tourist attraction, with many independent shops, art gallerie ...

, in 1880. The couple lived in London for a time but returned to Lyndhurst in 1881 and built a large house and studio named ''The Firs'', where Emms lived for the rest of his life. He died in Lyndhurst. His painting of "Callum" a

Dandie Dinmont Terrier A Dandie Dinmont Terrier is a small Scottish dog breed in the terrier family. The breed has a very long body, short legs, and a distinctive topknot of hair on the head. They are friendly but tough, and are suitable for interaction with older ch ...

hangs in the

National Gallery of Scotland The Scottish National Gallery (formerly the National Gallery of Scotland) is the national art gallery of Scotland. It is located on The Mound in central Edinburgh, close to Princes Street. The building was designed in a neoclassical style by W ...

. In 1919, the owner of the dog, James Cowan Smith, donated £55,000 (£ in ) to the National Gallery of Scotland with a requirement that obliged them to display the painting on its walls in perpetuity.John Emms, National Gallery of Scotland.
/ref> Emms is considered a painter of great ability. According to the American Kennel Club, his painting ''The New Forest Foxhounds'' is valued at an estimated $800,000–$1.2 million.

References

*''The Dictionary of British Equestrian Artists''. Dog artists 1844 births 1912 deaths People from Lyndhurst, Hampshire People from Blofield 20th-century English painters English male painters 20th-century English male artists {{UK-painter-19thC-stub