Karl Ferdinand Wimar (1828-1862), was a painter

Painting

Painting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a surface . The application of the medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush but other objects can be used. In art, the term painting describes both the act and the result of the action. However, painting is...

 of Western Native Americans

Native Americans in the United States

Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...

 and buffaloes.

He is particularly known for his 1855-1856 painting entitled The Abduction of Boone's Daughter by the Indians, a depiction of the 1776 capture of Jemima Boone and two other girls by Indians. The painting shows five Indians and Jemima on a raft, each wondering when Daniel Boone will come for her.

Early life and education

Born in Siegburg

Siegburg

--122.148.78.228 05:06, 14 November 2011 Siegburg is a city in the district of Rhein-Sieg-Kreis, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany...

, Germany

Germany

Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...

, Wimar immigrated to the United States at the age of 15 with his parents. They settled in St. Louis, Missouri

St. Louis, Missouri

St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...

..

In 1846 he began studying painting with Leon Pomarede and went with his master on a trip up the Mississippi River

Mississippi River

The Mississippi River is the largest river system in North America. Flowing entirely in the United States, this river rises in western Minnesota and meanders slowly southwards for to the Mississippi River Delta at the Gulf of Mexico. With its many tributaries, the Mississippi's watershed drains...

. In 1852 he went to the Düsseldorf Academy

Kunstakademie Düsseldorf

The Kunstakademie Düsseldorf, formerly Staatliche Kunstakademie Düsseldorf, is the Arts Academy of the city of Düsseldorf. It is well known for having produced many famous artists, such as Joseph Beuys, Gerhard Richter, Sigmar Polke, Thomas Demand, and Andreas Gursky...

 to study with Emanuel Leutze

Emanuel Leutze

Emanuel Gottlieb Leutze was a German American history painter best known for his painting Washington Crossing the Delaware.-Philadelphia:...

.

Career

Wimar returned to St. Louis in 1856. He primarily occupied himself with painting the themes of Indian life, buffalo herds, and life in the Great Plains

Great Plains

The Great Plains are a broad expanse of flat land, much of it covered in prairie, steppe and grassland, which lies west of the Mississippi River and east of the Rocky Mountains in the United States and Canada. This area covers parts of the U.S...

. He also portrayed the wagon trains of the western migration of settlers from the East Coast.

He made two long trips in 1858 and 1859 up the Missouri River

Missouri River

The Missouri River flows through the central United States, and is a tributary of the Mississippi River. It is the longest river in North America and drains the third largest area, though only the thirteenth largest by discharge. The Missouri's watershed encompasses most of the American Great...

, and was inspired by his experiences and observations of Native American life. He also traveled up the Mississippi.

Among Wimar's most well-known works were mural

Mural

A mural is any piece of artwork painted or applied directly on a wall, ceiling or other large permanent surface. A particularly distinguishing characteristic of mural painting is that the architectural elements of the given space are harmoniously incorporated into the picture.-History:Murals of...

s painted in 1861 in the Rotunda of St. Louis Court House

Old Courthouse

The Old St. Louis County Courthouse was built as a combination federal and state courthouse in St. Louis, Missouri. Missouri's tallest habitable building from 1864 to 1894, it is now part of the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial and operated by the National Park Service used for historical...

. It is now part of the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial

Jefferson National Expansion Memorial

The Jefferson National Expansion Memorial is in St. Louis, Missouri, near the starting point of the Lewis and Clark Expedition. It was designated as a National Memorial by Executive Order 7523, on December 21, 1935, and is maintained by the National Park Service .The park was established to...

.

External links

• carlwimar.com "The Charles (Carl) Ferdinand Wimar Research Project"
• fineoldart.com biography "Carl Wimar"
• Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza Biography and Works: Karl Ferdinand Wimar