At the age of sixteen, he entered the Academia Imperial de Belas Artes (AIBA).

[1] He was a regular participant in the "Exposições Geral de Belas Artes", where he won the Gold Medal for history painting in 1883.

[1] In 1887, after failing to win a contest that would have enabled him to study in Europe and urged on by his friend Firmino Monteiro, he moved to Salvador,[2] where he became the Professor of Design and Landscapes at the "Liceu de Artes e Ofícios".

[1] He continued to exhibit successfully, but became depressed at having his efforts to launch the school repeatedly thwarted.

He drowned in Guanabara Bay, apparently while attempting to launch a boat, although his family and the press suggested that it may have been suicide.