Cornelius Krieghoff

1815-1872 Cornelius Krieghoff, according to his enlistment record born at Amsterdam in 1815; according to G.M. Fairchild he was born at Dusseldorf about 1812. His father was a maker of wallpaper at Dusseldorf, his mother Dutch. The family later lived at Schloss Mainberd near Schweinfurth in Bavaria. He is said to have gone to school in Rotterdam and to have studied painting at Dusseldorf. Travelled through Europe as an itinerant artist and musician. Went to the United States and in 1837 enlisted in the Army as an artificer; he is said to have made drawings of the Seminole War (1836-1842); He was discharged in 1840. Married a French Canadian woman c. 1840 and moved to Canada soon afterwards. He lived for a time at Rochester. Visited a brother in Toronto and exhibited with the Toronto Society of Artists, 1846-1848. By c. 1847 he was at the Longueuil, then in Montreal, and in 1853 in Quebec, where he was active until he left for Chicago to live with his daughter in 1868(?). He is said to have visited Europe (1854-1855? or 1869?). Revisited Montreal and Quebec in 1871. Died in Chicago, Many of his pictures were bought by officers of the garrison and others in Quebec and taken to England.