Fritz von Dardel was born and raised in Neuchatel, Switzerland, and was much influenced by Rodolphe Töppfer. He moved to Sweden in 1835, and became one of the country's pioneering comic artists. Von Dardel's earliest known comic strip is from 1840 and depicts his travels to Paris. His first known published comic dates from 1844, and is called 'Ett Frieri' ('A Proposal to Marriage').
Earliest known comic by Von Dardel from 1840 (Collection of A. Malti, Sweden)
He drew many other comic stories, such as 'Herrar Black & Smith på väg till Skandinavien' (1859) and 'Familjen Tutings Lustresa till Bomarsund' (1854). In 1856, Fritz von Dardel accompanied the crown prince on a voyage to Norway, and he made an illustrated account. Fritz von Dardel had seven children and died in Stockholm, at the age of 84.
Other early work by Fritz von Dardel, 1840 (Collection of A. Malti, Sweden)