John Caspar Wild

John Caspar Wild (or J.C. Wild[2]) (1804 – August 12, 1846) was a Swiss-American painter and lithographer. He created early city views and landscapes of Philadelphia; Cincinnati, Ohio; St. Louis, and Davenport.[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.

Cincinnati from behind Newport Barracks, 1835
John Caspar Wild
John Caspar Wild Grave Monument
Born
Johann Caspar Wild [1]

July 1, 1804
Switzerland
DiedAugust 12, 1846
Davenport, Iowa
NationalitySwiss
Known forPainting, printmaking

Wild was born in Richterswil, Canton Zürich,[3] Switzerland. He moved to Paris, France. In 1832, he moved to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.[2] He later moved to St. Louis, Missouri. [4] In summer 1844, he moved a final time, to Davenport, Iowa, a small town in the upper Mississippi River valley. Wild fell gravely ill with tuberculosis[5] in the summer of 1846, and he was taken in by Davenport millinery businessman George L. Webb.[6] On his deathbed, 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]

Notable collections

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
  1. John Caspar Wild: Painter and Printmaker of 19th Century Urban America, John W. Reps. Page1
  2. "University of Pennsylvania". Library Company of Philadelphia. World Digital Library. Retrieved 1 January 2014.
  3. John Caspar Wild: Painter and Printmaker of 19th Century Urban America, John W. Reps. Page1
  4. John Caspar Wild: Painter and Printmaker of 19th Century Urban America, John W. Reps. Page 95
  5. Geschichte der Stadt Davenport, August P. Richter, Page 293
  6. Geschichte der Stadt Davenport, August P. Richter, Page 293
  7. Geschichte der Stadt Davenport, August P. Richter, Page 293
  8. John Caspar Wild: Painter and Printmaker of 19th Century Urban America, John W. Reps. Page 105
  9. http://qctimes.com/news/local/artist-is-the-reason-we-know-what-davenport-looked-like/article_06e6f6a7-6078-5909-a3ec-39544fdc220f.html
  10. "Pennsylvania Hospital". Library Company of Philadelphia. World Digital Library. Retrieved 1 January 2014.
  • 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.


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