Charles Chatworthy Wood Taylor

Charles Chatworthy Wood Taylor
Portrait of Charles C. Wood Taylor
Born	Charles Chatworthy Wood Taylor 25 April 1792
Died	19 February 1856 London
Occupation	painter, engineer, mariner, and military officer
Known for	He designed the Coat of arms of Chile.
Notable work	"Wreck of the Arethusa" (painting)

Charles Chatworthy Wood Taylor, known in Chile as Carlos Wood Taylor, (25 April 1792 – 19 February 1856) was a painter, engineer, mariner, and military officer.

He designed the Coat of arms of Chile, which was adopted by the government in 1834, incorporating the huemul and the condor. He also designed the first stamps of the nascent state. He is considered one of the most influential foreign artists who shaped modern painting in Chile.

He was born on 25 April 1792, son of the Irish John Chatworthy Wood and Susan Taylor.

From boyhood, he demonstrated his skills in art, working in a ceramics factory in the town of Burslem in Staffordshire. He emigrated to the United States in 1817. There, he started business as a landscape painter in Boston, moving his family a year later.

In 1819, he was hired by the U.S. government to embark on a scientific expedition on the frigate Macedonia; this journey took him to the coast of Mexico, Ecuador, Peru, and Chile. He reached Valparaiso in January 1819, after 80 days of sailing, making plans and sketches of the coasts they visited, and drawing ships and port activities for purposes of military study; Lord Cochrane had just sailed to blockade Callao.

Continued toward the Callao and Downes Commander of the frigate Macedonian invited to a dance on board the General San Martín the main hall was decorated with the navies of Wood, and Martin felt impressed to contemplate, and knowing by the captain that the author was on board, manisfestó his desire to know. Presented to St. Martin Wood offered him a position that in the Army, which at first was compelled to refuse for their commitments to scientific expedition.

In August 1820, he was back in Chile, and at the request of Colonel Don Diego Paroissien, aide of General San Martín, accepted the post of Lieutenant of Artillery of the Army of Chile, added to the corps of engineers. On 8 October 1820, he joined the liberating expedition of Peru aboard the vessel San Martín.

Charles Wood Taylor carried out numerous military activities: topographic surveys, plans and locations of the enemy, infiltration of enemy lines, eventually being promoted by San Martin to the rank of Captain of Engineers.