Cornelius Botke is best known as a California landscape painter, but was also a skilled etcher and block-printer.  Born in Leewarden, Holland, he completed his studies at the School of Applied Design in Haarlem. In 1906, Botke moved to the Chicago where he began working as an architectural draftsman at the Art Institute of Chicago. While in Chicago, Botke met a fellow artist named Jessie Arms. After the two married, they moved to Carmel, California, where Cornelius began teaching at the bohemian Carmel Arts and Crafts schools.

Cornelius and Jessie often collaborated on commissioned pieces and murals. Both artists became well-regarded painters of their time. In the 1920s they bought a ranch in Southern California near Santa Paula, where they continued to paint. In the early 1930s, Cornelius continued painting landscapes, seascapes, and producing printwork. Botke’s prints were done with precision and executed with refinement.

Cornelius Botke’s produced a large and well-regarded body of work. He is acknowledged by the fine art community as a noteworthy painter and printmaker. Botke exhibited throughout his career at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, the Art Institute of Chicago, and other highly respected institutions. His paintings and prints are held in both public and private collections, including the University of Chicago, Oakland Museum of California, San Diego Museum of Art, among others.