Born into a family of Parisian shopkeepers, he entered the École des Beaux-Arts in 1849 at the age of seventeen, where he studied under Jean-Adolphe Lafosse [fr] (1810–79).

Worms is best known for genre scenes depicting Spanish life, often comical and painted in a highly realistic manner with many details and bright colors.

Worms returned for six extended trips between 1860–61 and 1882, traveling widely and gathering sketches and costumes for studio paintings back in Paris.

[4] Worms also created illustrations for books, including Les Contes rémois by Louis de Chevigné [fr], the Fables of La Fontaine in 1873, Don Quixote in 1884, Aladdin, and One Thousand and One Nights.

A work by Worms in the Nob Hill mansion of Leland Stanford was destroyed in the San Francisco earthquake and fire of 1906.