He belonged to the Düsseldorf school of painting and was closely associated with follow artists Hans Fredrik Gude and Adolph Tidemand.
Norwegian artist Johan Fredrik Eckersberg had established an art school on Lille Grensen in Christiania (now Oslo) in 1859.
[3] Some of his students emigrated to America including the Norwegian-American artists, Lars Jonson Haukaness, Carl L. Boeckmann and Herbjørn Gausta.
His depiction of Birkebeiner skiers carrying Prince Haakon to safety during the winter of 1206 has become a national Norwegian icon.
The prince grew up to be King Haakon IV whose reign marked the end of the period known as the Civil war era in Norway.