John Austin Sands Monks was an American painter and etcher known especially for his paintings of sheep. Born in Cold Spring, New York, to John and Sarah Catherine Monks, he was educated at the Hudson River Institute and studied engraving under George N. Cass and painting under George Inness. He was a longtime resident of Medfield, Massachusetts, and had a studio in Boston. He was a member of the Boston Art Club, the Copley Society, the Salmagundi Club, and the New York Etching Club. His sister was the naturalist Sarah P. Monks. He died in Chicago while visiting his daughter at the age of 66.