Johannes Holst (1880-1965) counts amongst Germanys most important seascape artists, highly appreciated far beyond his home town of Hamburg. He was an autodidact; nature itself was his teacher. Most remarkable his wide range of additional talents: a connoisseur of classical music, he produced violins under the name of Altenwerder Stradivari, played piano and cello, constructed and built his own Yacht and, first of all, was an passionate sailor.

Over the course of seven decades Holst created an impressive oeuvre of several thousand paintings with mainly maritime motifs ranging from the traditional fishing boats of the Lower Elbe and, especially, the great era of the Wind Jammer of which he can be called its Chronicler. Like Jack Spurling, one of his role models, Johannes Holst is known for his exact painting and his dedication to the correctness of the maritime detail. His seascapes can today be seen in twelve renowned Museums or found their place in numerous private collections in twenty countries.