(b Ebingen, Württemberg, 30 May 1786; d nr Germantown, PA, 15 July 1821). American painter of German birth. He is considered to have been the first significant genre painter in America. He received his first art training in Germany from Johann Baptist Seele, a military-history painter. When Krimmel moved to Philadelphia in 1809, he at first supported himself as a portrait and miniature painter but quickly developed a penchant for chronicling events in the city and its environs. Fourth of July in Centre Square, Philadelphia (c. 1810–12; Philadelphia, PA, Acad. F.A.) is an instance of his formulaic approach, with crowds of well-dressed figures attending a particular event in a carefully depicted location. Krimmel’s interiors, such as Interior of an American Inn (c. 1813; Toledo, OH, Mus. A.), depict typical American activities while revealing the influence of William Hogarth and David Wilkie (known to Krimmel through prints). Although rigid in composition, Krimmel’s scenes, with their energy and sense of well-being, kindled an interest in American life, fostering the quest for a national identity. He returned to Europe in 1817 but was back in Philadelphia in 1819. By the year of his death (by drowning), he had begun to enjoy recognition and was elected president of the Association of American Artists, receiving a major commission for a history painting (not completed) of William Penn’s landing at New Castle, PA.

• Krimmel, John L(ewis)
  • USA, §III, 2: Painting and graphic arts: 19th-century developments