Karl Gerhardt

Karl Gerhardt (1853-1940) was born in Boston but lived most of his life in Hartford, where he was a protege of Mark Twain. On Mark Twain's recommendation, and perhaps at his expense, Gerhardt traveled to Paris for study at age 18. Returning to the United States, he quickly received commissions for likenesses of Mark Twain, Henry Ward Beecher, and Ulysses S. Grant. After a few years of brilliant work, Gerhardt's career became something of a disappointment.