Hermann Ottomar Herzog

Born in the German free state of Bremen, Herman Herzog entered Dusseldorf Academy in 1849. He was a pupil of J.W. Schirmer, Lessing, A. Achenbach, and H. Gude. His early paintings depict favorite mountain landscapes viewed during his travels to Norway, Switzerland, Italy, and the Pyrenees. His patrons included Queen Victoria and the Grand Duke Alexander of Russia. In 1869, Herzog emigrated to Philadelphia and continued to paint landscapes in Pennsylvania and along the Hudson River. On a trip west in 1874-75, he created mountain sketches in Yosemite and Sierra Nevada. His painting El Capitan, Yosemite was considered a masterpiece.