He studied in Berlin at the Prussian Academy of Arts with Bernhard Rode and Johann Christoph Frisch.
In 1801, he was appointed a Professor and member of the Senate at the Academy and, after 1812, was personally in charge of all the drawing lessons.
He had several notable students, including Eduard Daege, Carl Georg Enslen, Friedrich Jentzen [de], Carl Friedrich Hampe [de] and Theodor Hildebrandt.
In addition to his work as a teacher, from 1800 to 1824 he created several large oil paintings on mythological subjects.
In 1818, following a fire at the Schauspielhaus Berlin, he participated in reconstructive work by providing allegorical wall paintings.