American Progress

A Life of Lithography and Art

Born in Berlin, Germany, John Gast was a Prussian-born American painter and lithographer. He was the son of Heinrich Konrad "Leopold" Gast and Bertha Pauline Henriette Volkmann. His family emigrated from Berlin to central Missouri before moving to St. Louis. His father, Leopold, was a master lithographer who established the August Gast Banknote and Lithograph Company with his brother August. John followed in his father's footsteps, earning a degree from the Royal Academy in Berlin before returning to St. Louis. He later traveled to Paris to study art around 1867.

After working in New York, Gast established his own firm, Gast and Company. He is recognized as the inventor of the three-color lithograph process and received patents for various lithograph processes and equipment, including a special lithograph screen for color printing. His business ventures eventually evolved into the Photo-chrome Company and later Grey and Company.

Artistic Legacy and Works

Gast's most famous work is the painting American Progress (1872), which was commissioned by publisher George Crofutt. This piece is held in the Autry Museum of the American West. His other known works include:

His artistic output also includes an untitled work depicting a mother adjusting a blanket. Gast's works are generally signed and dated. He died in Brooklyn from liver cancer.