William Wendt, “The Cabbage Patch,” Oil on Canvas, c. Before 1895

William Wendt was born in Germany. As a teen he became an apprentice cabinetmaker. When he was 15, an uncle financed his immigration to Chicago. With his cabinetmaking experience, Wendt found work as a staff artist in a commercial frame shop—churning out formulaic landscape paintings in copious amounts. Wendt is often described as a self-taught artist. But this is not entirely true. In 1885, he studied landscape painting at the Frank Bromley School of Art in Chicago. He also visited Europe in 1898-89 for further art study. From 1891-1894 he attended the Art Institute. He studied under Charles Boutwood at the Art Institute. Boutwood and John Vanderpoel took their students to Oregon during the summer. Wendt also had ties to Charles Francis Browne, with whom he had a friendship. In 1906 Wendt married Julia Bracken—a sculptor and student of Lorado Taft. Shortly thereafter they moved to California. Wendt is known primarily as a landscape painter. Wendt has work in the Art Institute of Chicago and in the Union Club in Seattle.