Biography.guide
Home › People › Painter › John Emms
Portrait of John Emms

John Emms

1843 – 1912

Painter from the United Kingdom

Don't just read it — keep itBiographies to ownE-book · Audio · Video From $7 →

About John Emms

Lived 1843 – 1912 (aged 69). John Emms was a British painter.

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

Biography Emms was born in Blofield, Norfolk, the son of artist Henry William Emms. He became an avid hunter and became famous for his paintings of horses, and of dogs, particularly foxhounds and terriers. He exhibited at the Royal Academy several times, beginning in 1866. His paintings are signed “Jno Emms”.

He married Fanny Primmer of Lyndhurst, Hampshire, 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 hangs in the National Gallery of Scotland. 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.

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.

Biography shop

Don’t just read it —
keep it.

Full-length biographies made to live with: read them, listen on the way to work, watch them tonight.

  • E-book
  • Audio
  • Video
Browse the shop — from $7

Instant download · yours to keep · every purchase keeps this site free

Important facts

People in John Emms's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped John Emms's

Frequently asked questions

Who was John Emms?

painter from the United Kingdom (1843-1912)

When was John Emms born?

John Emms was born on 21 April 1843 in Norfolk.

When did John Emms die?

John Emms died on 1 November 1912 in United Kingdom.

What was John Emms's occupation?

John Emms was a painter.

What nationality was John Emms?

John Emms was British.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: John Emms

· Wikidata: Q6231765

· DBpedia: John Emms (artist)

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). John Emms. https://biography.guide/john-emms/

MLA: "John Emms." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/john-emms/.

Chicago: "John Emms." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/john-emms/.

Data last updated: 2026-09-22 · Spot an error? Report a correction.

Portrait: Wikimedia Commons · author & licence

Page generated 2026-09-27 05:03 UTC