Dietrich was born at Weimar, where he was brought up early to the profession of art by his father Johann Georg, then painter of miniatures to the court of the duke.

He was so pleased with Dietrich's work that he gave him means to study abroad, and visit the chief cities of Italy and the Netherlands.

[1] He was also successful in aping the style of Rembrandt, and numerous examples of this habit may be found in the galleries of St. Petersburg, Vienna and Dresden.

Dietrich tried every branch of art except portraits, painting Italian and Dutch views alternately with scripture scenes and still life.

In 1741 he was appointed court painter to Augustus III at Dresden, with an annual salary of 400 thalers, conditional on the production of four cabinet pictures a year.