John Martin Tracy Artwork valuations, appraisals and auction estimates

John Martin Tracy was born in 1843 in Rochester, Ohio. He was known for his skill in painting dogs, horses and sporting scenes. Read the full biography

John Martin Tracy was born in 1843 in Rochester, Ohio. He was known for his skill in painting dogs, horses and sporting scenes. In 1861 he volunteered for the 19th Illinois Infantry, where he rose to the rank of lieutenant. After being discharged from the Army, Tracy worked as a school teacher and orchard laborer in southern Illinois until he raised enough money to afford to attend the Ecole des Beaux Arts in Paris. Upon his return to the United States, probably less than a year later, he moved to California where he painted landscapes. When he returned to the United States, he opened a portrait studio in St. Louis and began painting sports subjects. He bought a historic farmhouse and decorated it with Revolutionary War memorabilia and colonial furniture, becoming one of America's first collectors of antiques. Tracy's great popularity as a painter of sports subjects stems mainly from his accuracy. He was often asked to make portraits of dogs, two of which belong to the American Kennel Club. Perhaps due to a lingering illness, Tracy moved to Ocean Springs, Mississippi, where he died in 1893.