He studied at the School of Fine Arts of San Fernando in Madrid and later lived a long time in Barcelona.

In 1867, he published in El Museo Universal, popular aspects of Ávila, represented by artesans and the countryside, from the etchings of José Severini [es].

[1] As a painter, his best known work was Muerte de Cristóbal Colón (Death of Christopher Columbus), a history painting which won special honors in the National Fine Arts Exhibition of 1864.

Attached to his republican and liberal political views, he hesitantly relocated, in 1871 to France in order to improve his prospects, remaining there until the end of his life.

At the time of his death, the Editorial Gaspar Roig prepared an edition which was published in Madrid titled Album Ortego, with a collection of his drawings, with an introduction by Josep Lluís Pellicer, in order to financially assist the widow and children.