Description:

Walt Otto
(American, 1895 -1963)
Twenty (20) Grand Cigarette advertising illustration featuring Kentucky Derby horse
oil on canvas
Signed lower right.

Walt Otto was born in Horicon, Wisconsin, in 1895. His interest in art began when he was a mere youngster, surrounded by the natural beauty of abundant wetlands, wildlife, and meandering rivers. He showed an early talent for drawing and a keen awareness of color.

The family moved to Oshkosh, Wisconsin, in 1912. As a teenager, his long association with illustrating began with a $15 correspondence course in art. A year later he opened his own photography studio that he operated until 1916 before joining the Army Air Corps. After World War I, Otto moved to Chicago where he accepted a position with the Edwards and Deutsch Lithography Company. There he worked with prominent artists Haddon Sunbloom, Montgomery Flagg, Andrew Loomis, Frederic Mizen and other well known American illustrators. Meanwhile, he attended night classes at the Chicago Academy of Art and enrolled in courses at the Art Institute of Chicago. This was followed by the opening of his own portrait studio in Chicago in 1933.

During World War II Otto again served with the Air Force, specializing in aerial photography. After his wife's death in 1952 he returned to Oshkosh.

Known for his painting and illustrating, Walt Otto won numerous awards. His clients included the Schlitz Brewing Compan, J.J. Heinz Company, Anheuser-Busch, General Tire and Rubber, Miles Laboratories, Shell Petroleum Company, Mars Candy, Kellogg's and other nationally known advertisers. His work was also published by the New York Graphic Society and appeared on the covers of Mother's Magazine and Home Life, Woman's Weekly and the Saturday Evening Post.

  • Dimensions: 3/4 life size painting! 64" x 30".
  • Medium: oil on canvas

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September 11, 2021 11:00 AM EDT
Indianapolis, IN, US

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