Dutch painter Otto Eerelman is best known for his depictions of horses and dogs. He was a court painter, painting portraits of Queen Wilhelmina. His portraits of the German emperor and his wife, Queen Charlotte, are particularly well-known. But he's not just a famous horse and dog painter. 

The artist was born in Groningen in 1839 and studied at the Minerva Academy of Groningen. He studied under the well-known Dutch history painter J.H. Egenberger. In 1865, he moved to Antwerp and spent a year at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts there. There, he studied under Lourens Alma Tadema, who taught him to create large compositions and quick studies of daily life. He returned to Groningen after spending some time in Paris, and began teaching at the Minerva Academy. In 1876, he became a teacher at the Minerva academy, where he continued his education.

After graduating from the Minerva Academy, Eerelman taught art in the city of Groningen and moved to the South Veluwe in Arnhem. However, the move was not as beneficial to him as expected. He suffers from rheumatism and his marriage with Anna Frederica Braak is canceled. In 1873, Otto and Anna move back to Groningen. In 1907, Otto received the Pictura from Kunstgenootschap Pictura. A painting of a street scene in Groningen was published.