Carl
Rungius was primarily known as a painter of big game.
His fidelity to painting directly from life cannot be
ignored and puts him at the top of the list as an outdoor
painter. His depictions of the Canadian Rockies have not
been surpassed to this day.
Carl Rungius was born in Germany in 1869. From an early
age, he was determined to become an artist. His father,
a pastor, wanted him to become a minister, but the young
Carl refused and his father eventually relented. He studied
at the Berlin Art Academy. Carl was enrolled in design
and figure classes but found time to sketch at the zoo.
Eventually, he assembled a portfolio of animal drawings
and submitted them to Paul Mayerheim, the professor of
animal drawing and painting at the Academy.
After
studying at the academy, Carl stayed with his parents.
His prospects for a successful career in art seemed slim
until he was invited to visit his uncle in America. The
trip would change Rungius’s life forever. At a sportsman
show in New York, Carl met Ira Dodge, a Wyoming guide.
Dodge invited Carl to come to Wyoming to experience American
big game, first hand. This invitation was the opportunity
the young painter needed. He would often make studies
from the animals he shot---posing them with ropes back
in his camp.
In
New York, William Hornaday, the first director of the New York
Zoological society, discovered Rungius. Hornaday introduced
the artist to the wealthy patrons who were critical to Runguis’s
success in his career. Hornaday was responsible for many of
Rungius commissions in the following years. He also introduced
him to the lucrative world of illustration, which was in its
golden age.
While Carl was living with his uncle in New York he became
close with his cousin Louise. After she graduated from Columbia
University, the two married.
Carl Rungius was concerned that his focus on wildlife was hurting
his reputation as a serious painter. To remedy this, he began
focusing on the landscape and entering national shows. His trips
to the Canadian Rockies helped influence this change of focus.
As he matured, Rungius changed his painting style, moving away
from the academic approach he was taught in Germany. His palette
lightened and he incorporated many aspects of Impressionism
into his painting.
Carl Rungius died of a stroke at his easel in 1959.
Carl
Rungius was primarily known as a painter of big game.
His fidelity to painting directly from life cannot be
ignored and puts him at the top of the list as an outdoor
painter. His depictions of the Canadian Rockies have not
been surpassed to this day. 
After
studying at the academy, Carl stayed with his parents.
His prospects for a successful career in art seemed slim
until he was invited to visit his uncle in America. The
trip would change Rungius’s life forever. At a sportsman
show in New York, Carl met Ira Dodge, a Wyoming guide.
Dodge invited Carl to come to Wyoming to experience American
big game, first hand. This invitation was the opportunity
the young painter needed. He would often make studies
from the animals he shot---posing them with ropes back
in his camp. 
In
New York, William Hornaday, the first director of the New York
Zoological society, discovered Rungius. Hornaday introduced
the artist to the wealthy patrons who were critical to Runguis’s
success in his career. Hornaday was responsible for many of
Rungius commissions in the following years. He also introduced
him to the lucrative world of illustration, which was in its
golden age.