Born in Brașov, in the Principality of Transylvania, he was the eighth child of Ioan Popp Moldovan de Galați (1774–1869) and Elena (1783–1867), born Ivan, a family from the Făgăraș region.

He carried on the work of his father by painting several churches from Bucharest, Brașov (Tocile, Saint Nicholas Church), Araci, Râșnov, Satulung, Târgu-Jiu, Câmpulung, Urlați, etc.

Between 1847 and 1853, he painted with Constantin Lecca the church of Curtea Veche from Bucharest.

But his main art legacy resides in creating many portraits of the personalities of his time (Ion Heliade Rădulescu, Andrei Mureșanu, Vasile Alecsandri, etc.)

and of some famous historical figures, such as Michael the Brave, inspired from a contemporary engraving of the voivode.