[1] His parents originally meant for him to become a clergyman but, in 1829, at the age of fifteen, he obtained an apprenticeship with the engraving and artistic ironworking company, Wielthalm.
Three years later, he began studying sculpture with Luwig Schaller [de] and Joseph Käßmann (1784–1856) at the Academy of Fine Arts, Vienna.
Then, under the tutelage of Luigi Pichler, studied the making of coinage and hardstone carving.
Not long after, he started becoming discouraged by the amount of bureaucracy involved in the making of coins and medals, so he switched to producing large sculptures.
He also created fifteen portrait medallions of famous actors, in cement, for the box parapets at the Vienna State Opera.