biography of Frederick W. BILLING (1835-1914)

Birth place: Eschwege, Germany

Death place: Santa Cruz/Ben Lomond, CA

Addresses: Brooklyn, NY; Salt Lake City, UT; Santa Cruz/Ben Lomomd, CA, from 1880

Profession: Painter

Studied: with Johan Hermann Carmiencke

Exhibited: Brooklyn AA, 1876

Work: Smithsonian Inst.; Oakland Mus., CA

Comments: Immigrated to the U.S. in 1855 and fought on the Union side during the Civil War. After the War he opened a brokerage business on Wall Street, but also studied painting. By the mid-1860s he was painting mostly landscapes and became a good friend of Thomas Moran (see entry), who is said to have assisted him in his painting. In 1880 Billing bought a winery near Santa Cruz and remained there until his death.

Sources: Hughes, Artists of California, 50.