His father, Carl (1804–1891), was a confectioner. From 1855 to 1858, he studied at the Academy of Fine Arts, Karlsruhe, with Johann Wilhelm Schirmer and Ludwig des Coudres. In 1858, developed an interest in the Düsseldorf school of painting and went there to continue his studies with Benjamin Vautier. After an extended series of study trips through France, Italy, Greece and Eastern Europe, he set up his own business in Düsseldorf, where he produced his first series of genre paintings. During this time, he married Marie Sohn (1841–1893), daughter of the painter Karl Ferdinand Sohn. They had two sons.
