From 1928 to 1932 he studied at the Dresden Academy of Fine Arts with Richard Müller and Otto Dix.
In 1928 he joined the KPD, and in 1929 became a member of the Association of Revolutionary Visual Artists.
He freelanced until he became a lecturer on painting at the Academy of Fine Arts DDR in 1949.
In 1956 he was awarded the National Prize of the German Democratic Republic for his realistic oeuvre.
In 1962 he was awarded the Patriotic Order of Merit for outstanding achievements in the cultural field, receiving Bronze then Silver in 1969.