He was admitted as an auditor to life drawing classes at the École des Beaux-Arts, and copied paintings in the collections of the Louvre.

[3] In 1833, he traveled to Italy, visiting Bologna, Florence, and Venice before settling in Rome, where he studied at the English Life School.

[3] During his travels in Europe, he became friends with the Danish sculptor Bertel Thorwaldsen and studied with the French painter Horace Vernet.

[6] The city was a relatively open market for artists, and Miller quickly established a studio on Chartes Street and began receiving orders for portraits.

The scenes and incidents of the hunting journey were the foundation of a series of paintings documenting Native Americans of the United States.