Theobald Stein was intended for an academic career but from an early age he showed great interest in drawing and upon recommendation from the many artists who visited the Steins' home, he was therefore instead enrolled at the Academy's drawing school at age 12.

[1] The proceeds from his work and economic support from the Academy enabled him to spend four productive and successful years in Rome.

His work from this period includes Neapolitean Fishing Boy, carrying a Pitcher which was rewarded with a Thorvaldsen Medal in 1860.

A bronze cast of it was originally placed by Carl Jacobsen's Albertina Trust in the no longer existing Aborreparken in Copenhagen but has later been moved to Grønningen at Kastellet.

[2] In 1861, the year after his return to Copenhagen from Italy, Stein became a member of the Academy and when his father died in 1867 he succeeded him as docent in anatomy.