Royal Academy of Fine Arts (Antwerp)
He originally studied to be a violinist, but his interest in painting took the upper hand, so he enrolled at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts (Antwerp), where he studied under Charles Verlat. He later assisted Verlat with his panoramic paintings ("March of the Russian Army" and "The Battle of Waterloo") and executed decorative paintings from designs by Albrecht De Vriendt in the Antwerp City Hall. In 1885, he became a Professor at the Academy.