John Caspar Wild
| John Caspar Wild | |
|---|---|
| Born |
Johann Caspar Wild [1] July 1, 1804 Switzerland |
| Died |
August 12, 1846 Davenport, Iowa |
| Nationality | American |
| Known for | Painting, printmaking |
John Caspar Wild (or J.C. Wild[2]) (1804 – August 12, 1846) was an American painter and lithographer.
Personal life
John Caspar Wild was born in Richterswil, Canton Zürich,[3] Switzerland. He moved to Paris, France. In 1832 he moved to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.[2] Wild's final home was Davenport, Iowa, a small town in the upper Mississippi river valley. He moved there from St. Louis in the summer of 1844. [4] Wild fell gravely ill with Tuberculoses[5]in the summer of 1846 and he was taken in by Davenport, Iowa millinery businessman George L. Webb.[6]On his death bed, Wild reflected upon his childhood and he yearned to die in his Swiss homeland; it was a wish that was to not be fulfilled[7]Wild died on August 12, 1846.[8]Wild was laid to rest nearly on the banks of the River which he had painted for years. Wild’s grave site was unmarked for decades. [9]
Work
He created early city views and landscapes of Philadelphia, Cincinnati, Ohio, St. Louis, Missouri, and Davenport, Iowa.[2] He specialized in hand-colored lithographs. These views, particularly the Valley of the Mississippi Illustrated were some of the first depictions of the American West.
Notable collections
- University of Pennsylvania, 1842, The Library Company of Philadelphia[2]
- Pennsylvania Hospital, circa 1840, The Library Company of Philadelphia[10]
Further reading
- Reps, John William, and J. C. Wild. 2006. John Caspar Wild: painter and printmaker of nineteenth-century urban America. St. Louis: Missouri Historical Society Press. ISBN 1-883982-55-3 Designed by Steve Hartman of Creativille, Inc.
- Wild, J. C., and Lewis Foulk Thomas. 1948. The valley of the Mississippi: illustrated in a series of views, accompanied with historical descriptions. St. Louis, Mo: Joseph Garnier. (this is a reprint; original edition published 1841-2)
References
- ↑ John Caspar Wild: Painter and Printmaker of 19th Century Urban America, John W. Reps. Page1
- 1 2 3 4 "University of Pennsylvania". Library Company of Philadelphia. World Digital Library. Retrieved 1 January 2014.
- ↑ John Caspar Wild: Painter and Printmaker of 19th Century Urban America, John W. Reps. Page1
- ↑ John Caspar Wild: Painter and Printmaker of 19th Century Urban America, John W. Reps. Page 95
- ↑ Geschichte der Stadt Davenport, August P. Richter, Page 293
- ↑ Geschichte der Stadt Davenport, August P. Richter, Page 293
- ↑ Geschichte der Stadt Davenport, August P. Richter, Page 293
- ↑ John Caspar Wild: Painter and Printmaker of 19th Century Urban America, John W. Reps. Page 105
- ↑ http://qctimes.com/news/local/artist-is-the-reason-we-know-what-davenport-looked-like/article_06e6f6a7-6078-5909-a3ec-39544fdc220f.html
- ↑ "Pennsylvania Hospital". Library Company of Philadelphia. World Digital Library. Retrieved 1 January 2014.
External links
- John Cushman Abbott Exhibit Supplement -- includes a discussion of Wild and his book The Valley of the Mississippi Illustrated in a Series of Views, a slide show of illustrations from the book, and a downloadable pdf of the book.