John Wootton (c.1686– 13 November 1764)[1] was an English painter of sporting subjects, battle scenes and landscapes, and illustrator.

Born in Snitterfield, Warwickshire (near Stratford-upon-Avon), he is best remembered as a pioneer in the painting of sporting subjects – together with Peter Tillemans and James Seymour[2] – and was considered the finest practitioner of the genre in his day.

These included figures such as George II of Great Britain, Frederick, Prince of Wales, and the Duke of Marlborough.

[3] He is now somewhat eclipsed in the field of animal paintings by the later George Stubbs (1724–1806), who is considered technically superior.

Examples of his animal painting can be found in the Tate Gallery, London, the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, Richmond, the Yale Center for British Art, in the Elizabethan Great Hall at Longleat and in The Portland Collection at the Harley Gallery and Foundation.