Gilbert Munger was born on April 14, 1837 in Madison, Connecticut. He showed interest and talent in art early in life. His family allowed him to follow this inclination by sending him at age 13 to Washington D.C. where he became an apprentice engraver, studying with the artist William H. Dougal. He worked at this trade for about ten years.

He became good friends with other artists in town including John Mix Stanley and John Ross Key. Through these associations and his own efforts he taught himself to draw and paint. When the Civil War started, Munger became an engineer in the Union Army, working on the defenses of Washington D.C. When the war ended he gave up the military and moved to New York City to try a career as a professional artist.

During the western trips Munger made San Francisco his west coast headquarters. Munger's western landscapes from this period have a realistic, vigorous, detailed topographical approach and only occasionally contain people or animals.

In early 1901 he moved to Washington D.C., still not enjoying success as an artist but still full of plans for succeeding and thus working hard at his painting. About this time letters show health problems starting.

Gilbert Munger died without achieving the status of a first-ranked American painter, and appreciation of his talents is still not widespread. He died in Washington D.C. on January, 27 January 1903.