John Lewis Krimmel

John Lewis Krimmel (May 30, 1786 – July 15, 1821), sometimes called "the American Hogarth," was America's first painter of genre scenes. Born in the Holy Roman Empire, he immigrated to Philadelphia in 1809 and soon became a member of the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts. Initially influenced by Scotland's David Wilkie, England's William Hogarth, and America's Benjamin West, he soon turned to direct observation of life for his genre scenes. Krimmel was among the first artists in America to portray free African Americans, such as in Black People's Prayer Meeting (1813). Paintings such as Fourth of July Celebration in Centre Square (1811/12) and Election Day (1815) are filled with lively characterizations of scores of crowd members. American artists influenced by Krimmel's work include William Sidney Mount, George Caleb Bingham, and Thomas Eakins.