Royal Academy of Fine Arts (Antwerp)
He began preparing for a military career, but showed little enthusiasm, being attracted to drawing instead. From 1875 to 1878 he attended the Royal Academy of Fine Arts (Antwerp), where he studied with Nicaise De Keyser and Polydore Beaufaux. He began by painting historical and genre scenes, but soon turned to humorous depictions of military life, taken from his own experiences.