He went to Paris in 1867 to seek his fortune, where he became attached to Le Monde illustré in 1870, just before the Franco-Prussian War broke out, and, like other artists in the paper, came under the powerful influence of Edmond Morin, the first newspaper draughtsman in France who sought to impart to drawings for journals the character of a work of art.

Apart from his contribution of his own original work, he was required by his paper to redraw upon the wood, for the engraver, the sketches sent in by artist-correspondents, such as Luc-Olivier Merson in Rome and Samuel Urrabieta (Vierge's brother) in Spain.

[1] In 1882 the publication of his edition of Francisco de Quevedo's Historia de la vida del Buscón llamado don Pablos (The Life Story of a Swindler Called Don Pablos) brought the technique of photo-reproduction to a high level of finish.

[citation needed] In 1891 he illustrated L'Espagnole, by Émile Bergerat, and in 1895 Le Cabaret des trois vertus.

[1] In 1898 Vierge contributed to L'Image, a magazine devoted to the encouragement of wood-engraving; and two years later, at the International Exhibition at Paris, he was awarded a grand prix.