Altona was then one of the largest Danish towns, due to royal privileges allowing among other things freedom of religion.

He received his first degree from Siegfried Detlev Bendixen's studio in Hamburg.

Gurlitt studied in Copenhagen 1832 and won a silver medal in 1833, and exhibited here until about 1875.

Being from Holsten, he chose the German side in the conflicts in 1848 and 1864, when Prussia won the war and Schleswig-Holstein which was under the reign of the Danish king.

The Royal collection of paintings owns six of his famous works.