Updated November 2026 · ranked by our popularity score (searches, visits and orders for each work) · 1 works by John Gast in our catalogue
In short
American Progress (1872) is the John Gast painting that draws the most eyes; the original belongs to the Autry Museum of the American West, Los Angeles County. Among the 1 works of John Gast in our catalog, these 1 are the most famous, each a unique original presented with its year, its museum and the reason it endures.
In 1872, John Gast painted American Progress. The work arrived through a commission from publisher George Crofutt. It was intended to adorn the cover of a popular series of western travel guides. Gast was a Prussian-born American painter, printer, and lithographer. He brought the precision of his craft to this specific vision of the continent.
The museum that holds the most of the paintings on this page.
| Museum | City | Works by John Gast | Paintings from this list |
|---|---|---|---|
 Autry Museum of the American West |
Los Angeles County | 1 | American Progress |
All the dated John Gast originals shown here belong to a single year, 1872: they appear in order of fame.
Pick a year to see its originals.
In 1872, John Gast painted American Progress. The work arrived through a commission from publisher George Crofutt. It was intended to adorn the cover of a popular series of western travel guides. Gast was a Prussian-born American painter, printer, and lithographer. He brought the precision of his craft to this specific vision of the continent.
American Progress (1872).
30 years old: American Progress dates from 1872, and John Gast was born in 1842.
Our catalog holds 1 works by John Gast.
Mostly in Autry Museum of the American West (Los Angeles County). The museum table above lists them all.
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.
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.