Born in Bedford, Pennsylvania, George Ottinger became one of Utah's early painters, having moved there by wagon train in 1861 to accompany his mother, who had become a member of the Church of the Latter Day Saints. Ottinger's subjects were western genre, landscapes, history and portraits, and some of his works reflected his travels to Europe and to Mexico where he did historical scenes of the Aztecs.

George Ottinger was raised as a Quaker and spent most of his childhood in New York City. At age 17, he ran away and became a sailor on a whaling ship and also mined for gold in California. At age 20, he returned to California, where he took art lessons from Robert Weir, and then at age 25, went briefly to Kentucky, where he had a job ti...