He studied at the Prague Academy of Fine Arts under and František Tkadlík. After further studies in Munich and Vienna, he returned to the Academy in 1844, where he was employed for ten years, proofreading lectures and serving as an assistant teacher. This was followed by a multi-year study trip to Italy and Paris which included participation in the Exposition Universelle (1855). In 1867, he became a Professor at the Academy in Prague and was promoted to Director upon the death of Jan Swerts (1879).