He briefly served in the Franco-Prussian War, where he met the painter Thomas Georg Driendl, who would later join him in Brazil[2] and work with him on several projects.

[citation needed] After extensive travels through Italy, North Africa via Sicily, Spain, France and England, he finally found himself in Lisbon and decided to go to Brazil, probably arriving in late 1877 or early 1878.

His interest in landscapes began when he was hired by the owners of the nearby fazendas to paint topographical pictures of their properties, which he executed with photographic precision.

[1] He received the Gold Medal and much public praise, which resulted in his appointment to a vacant chair at the Imperial Academy of Fine Arts,[2] obtained for him with the recommendation of Emperor Pedro II.

Their association lasted only slightly more than a year, then broke up when Grimm was once again struck with wanderlust and moved to Minas Gerais, where he had worked during his first stay in the country.