Background
He was born in Järva-Jaani, Estonia, the son of a Protestant clergyman, and studied first at the Academy of Saint St. Petersburg (1855-1858).
He was born in Järva-Jaani, Estonia, the son of a Protestant clergyman, and studied first at the Academy of Saint St. Petersburg (1855-1858).
In 1860 he became the pupil of Wilhelm Sohn at Düsseldorf, where he permanently settled, and became professor at the academy in 1873. One of his students was the German-Brazilian painter Wilhelm Techmeier. There is a religious tone defining many of his most highly regarded paintings.
Their chief characteristic is their deep and powerful yet varied expression of religious feeling.
The more important among the many biblical scenes he painted are:
"Christ on the Cross" (1866, Street Mary"s Cathedral, Tallinn)
"The Last Supper" (1870, National, Berlin)
"Crucifixion" (1873, Hamburg Kunsthalle)
"Ascension of Christ" (1881, National, Berlin)
"Taking Care of Christ"s Body" (1883, Dresden )
"Jacob and the Angel" (1893, Dresden )
"Christ and the Rich Youth" (1892, Düsseldorf )
"Sermon on the Mount" (1893, Düsseldorf )
"Healing of the Palsied" (1895, Breslau Museum)
"Christ upon the Waters" (1902)
Of episodes from the Reformation one is "The Reformer at Work" (1877, Leipzig Museum). In the former Cistercian monastery at Lokkum may be seen six mural paintings: "Scenes from the Life of Christ".
Mural paintings of similar subjects may be found at the Friedenskirche, Düsseldorf. He died in 1925. He took prototypes of local peasants which he draw down while visiting Estonia.
He was a tutor to famous Estonian painters like Ants Laikmaa, Kristjan and Paul Raud.