August Will

Who was August Will?

August Will was a German-American artist.

He was born in Weimar, Germany and immigrated to the New York City/New Jersey area when he was a young man. Although he always signed his paintings simply with the name August Will, Will's full birth name was John M. August Will. Will settled in Jersey City, New Jersey, where he remained until his death.

Little is known about Will's early life. However, it is known that Will enjoyed success as a well known local artist who did illustrations for the Century Company in New York City as well as instructed students in his Jersey City studio.

Working with the mediums of pen and ink, watercolors, and pastels, Will produced a large body work which consisted of portraits, landscapes, marine scenes, and city scapes, all which captured the unique era and epoch of his time and location. The single largest collection of his works—over 350 pieces—are in the permanent collection of the Jersey City Museum in Jersey City, New Jersey.