Johannes Gehrts

Johannes Gehrts (St. Pauli, 1855 – Düsseldorf, 1921) was a leading German illustrator of the late nineteenth century. Through popular magazines and children's books, his images brought the country's myths and tales to a wide readership.

Gehrts trained at the art academy in Weimar between 1873 and 1876, and from 1884 he lived in Düsseldorf. His work appeared in popular magazines such as Die Gartenlaube, in the design of children's books, and in the writings of his friend Felix Dahn. He depicted scenes from Germanic and Norse mythology, legends and sagas, pirate stories, travel adventures and fairy tales. He also illustrated reports on the scientific expeditions of the anthropologist Karl von den Steinen.

His legacy lies in the way he gave visual form to Germanic storytelling through print, with images that were read in German-speaking homes for decades.