Carl Rungius

Born into a German family of taxidermists and hunters, Carl Rungius grew up with an early interest in wildlife imagery. He studied art in Berlin between 1888 and 1890. An uncle invited him on a moose hunting trip to Maine in 1894 and from there Rungius traveled to Wyoming, where he was captivated by the grandeur and wildlife of the West. He decided to settle in the United States, basing himself in New York City as a magazine illustrator and making regular trips west during the summers. He gradually shifted his focus to fine art, specializing in images of the big game animals and landscapes of the West and making regular visits to Montana, Wyoming, and the Yukon to paint and hunt. His favorite spot became the Canadian Rockies, where he had a summer studio near Banff, Alberta. Rungius became involved in the early American conservation movement, joining the Boone and Crocket Club in the 1920s.