John Henry Dolph was born on April 18, 1835, in
Fort Ann, New York. In 1841, his father Osmond relocated the family to
Ashtabula County, Ohio. Eight years later, John Dolph began an apprenticeship as a carriage painter in
Columbus. From 1855, he worked as a portrait painter in
Cleveland and
Detroit. In 1861 he was listed as "J. Henri Dolph". Dolph moved to New York City in 1864 where his works were annually exhibited in the
National Academy of Design until 1900. From 1870 to 1873 he studied in
Antwerp, Belgium, and took further studies in
Paris from 1880 to 1882. Afterwards he specialised in painting pet animals such as dogs and cats. In New York, Dolph became a member of the Kit Kat Club of avant-garde artists, the Lotus Club and the
Salmagundi Club. He was elected into the National Academy of Design in 1877 as an Associate member, and became a full Academician in 1898. Dolph lived in the
Sherwood Studio Building at 57th and 6th. Sherwood Studio was the first apartment building in NYC made specifically for artists. John H. Dolph died in New York City on September 28, 1903. ==Reception==