Josef Wolf (1820 - 1899)

Josef Wolf

Josef Wolf was a German artist and natural history illustrator.

Josef Wolf was already a respected natural history artist in Germany when he moved to London in 1848 and was engaged by the famous English ornithologist John Gould (1804-1881) to illustrate his monographs. Wolf fairly quickly became the most famous animalist painter of the 19th century. In addition to illustrating for Gould, Wolf was responsible for the publication of Zoological Sketches, commissioned by the Zoological Society of London. Wolf was widely recognized during his lifetime; he created the genre of wildlife art.

Wolf's animalistic art consisted of his ability to capture a moment of movement combined with a deep physiological knowledge of animals.