Charles Wild, born 1781, was an English water-colour artist who specialised in architecture and interior portraits.
Wild was born in London, at the beginning of his career he was articled young to the painter Thomas Malton, and concentrated on architectural subjects. In 1803 he began to exhibit in the Royal Academy. Wild's earliest exhibited works from 1803 were two views of Christ Church, Oxford, followed in 1805 by drawings of Westminster Abbey, and in 1808 of York Cathedral.
He published six series of works on English cathedrals in his lifetime: Canterbury (1807); York (1809); Chester (1813); Lichfield (1813); Lincoln (1819) and Worcester (1823).
In 1819 Wild supplied 59 illustrations for William Henry Pyne's Royal Residences, which were later reproduced, after the style of Rudolph Ackermann's Microcosm of London, as hand-coloured aquatints.
On the 15 February 1809 he was elected an associate of the Old Watercolour Society, becoming a full member on 8 June 1812. He soon gave up his membership, but then was re-elected on 12 February 1821; he was treasurer in 1822, and then secretary in 1827 until 1832 when Robert Hills took over.
In 1826 he published Wild's English & Foreign Cathedrals, which contained 24 hand-coloured aquatints mounted on cards.
In 1827 Wild's sight had begun to fail, and in 1832 he became blind. Earlier travels on the continent resulted in Wild's Examples of the Ecclesiastical Architecture of the Middle Ages chiefly in France, and a volume published in 1833 of sketches in Belgium, Germany, and France. He also published a miscellaneous collection, entitled Twelve Beautiful Specimens, from the Cathedrals of England.
Charles Wild died on 4 August 1835 at 35 Albemarle Street, Piccadilly, where he had lived since 1820. His children included the architect James William Wild.
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