Much of his work was as an illustrator of magazines, especially the French L'Illustration and the British Vanity Fair, for which he signed his name simply as GUTH.

Born in Paris, in 1875 Guth was admitted as a student at the École des Beaux-Arts, where he was taught by Jean-Léon Gérôme.

From 1882, perhaps recommended by Louis Charles Auguste Steinheil, he worked for Félix Gaudin, for whom he made drawings for stained glass windows.

[5] After the death of "Ape" in 1889, "Spy" and Guth were the only regular contributors to the magazine's weekly colour portrait feature.

[11] The Graphic said in its review "No finer series of war portraits has been seen in London than those of M. Jean Baptiste Guth, now on exhibition at the Goupil Gallery in Regent Street...