In 1846, he enrolled at the Academy of Fine Arts, Vienna, where he studied with Franz Steinfeld and Johann Ender.
His studies were interrupted by the Revolution of 1848 so, in 1854, to supplement his training, he became a student of Anton Hansch.
His first showing came in 1856, with the local Artists' Association, where he displayed "A Party in Heiligenblut"[2] He later undertook several study trips to Italy, Hungary and Germany.
[1] In 1861, he was one of the co-founding members of The Society of Fine Arts of Vienna [de].
In addition to his landscapes, he created humorous singspiels for the annual "Fool's Evening" of the Vienna Men's Choral Society and wrote the lyrics for an operetta called "Heinz das Bluthund, oder Das Rosengärtlein von Aggstein", which was performed in 1867.