Hans von Petersen

Hans Ritter von Petersen (24 February 1850, Husum - 18 June 1914, Munich) was a German marine artist.

This was followed by sea voyages to North and South America, India, and West Africa;, to acquire direct knowledge of his chosen subject.

In 1885, he was attracted to Munich by an opportunity to work on a panorama of the German colonies, two of which, Togoland and Kamerun, may have been among the places he visited in Africa.

His paintings of naval ships and battles contributed to the enthusiasm for building a fleet, which was a major goal for Kaiser Wilhelm II.

Suffering from bouts of depression, and facing the possibility of going blind, he committed suicide by shooting himself, at his office in the Glaspalast.