[1] Wikström studied in the navigation school [sv] at Gävle to be a sea captain, but his near-sightedness was too great a liability and, rejecting the idea of becoming a shipbuilder, he abandoned life as a sailor.

[1] Over the objections of his family (and his fiancée, who ended their engagement),[1] he enrolled at the Royal Art Academy in Stockholm and then studied in Paris under Rodolphe Julian and Filippo Colarossi, eventually becoming a magazine illustrator.

In 1881, he illustrated a magazine article about life at sea, which inspired him to paint seascapes and other marine themed works.

[2] In 1884, Wikström's ailing neighbor, Charles Briton, a fellow Swede, hired him to assist in designing Carnaval floats and costumes for the Rex Organization.

Each parade required about 20 float designs, 100 costumes, and additional drawings for jewelry, masques, slippers, instruments, and other accessories.