As a young man, Wyld worked for the Diplomatic Service based in Calais, where he took watercolour lessons from Francia (1772-1839). He first visited Venice in 1833. He did a number of paintings of Venice, in both watercolour and oil, and he is known to have returned there at least once in 1874. In 1855 he was made a Chevalier de la Legion d'Honneur for his Une Regate a Venise which was bought by the state for 2,500 francs