William Gilbert Gaul (1855-1919).
Born in Jersey City, New Jersey, Gaul first planned a career with the U. S. Navy and briefly attended Claverack Military Academy, but due to ill health was unable to pursue a military career. He decided instead to become an artist, and during the 1870s studied with Lemuel Wilmarth and John George Brown , becoming a member of the National Academy of Design in 1882. In 1876 he made his first trip west, and the following year began exhibiting the paintings of military subjects and battle scenes that reflect his earlier interests and for which he is now almost exclusively known. In 1887, he was commissioned by Century magazine to illustrate Battles and Leaders of the Civil War. Following this commission, Gaul was heralded as one of the most important battle scene painters due to his acute attention to historically accurate uniforms and weapons. In 1890, the U.S. government selected Gaul to travel and illustrate the census, which resulted in a 683 page document of American Indian life.
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