 After tending to sheep and cattle up to age twelve, he learned the craft of stone masonry, carving, stuccowork and sculpting at a chiseler in Leutkirch im Allgäu.On his journeyman years he came to Stuttgart, where he visited the fine arts school.From November 1872 he continued his artistic education at the Academy of Fine Arts in Munich under Max von Widnmann and Joseph Knabl.