Background
He was born into a family of sculptors and woodcarvers and received his first lessons from his father.
He was born into a family of sculptors and woodcarvers and received his first lessons from his father.
He later studied painting at the Academy of Fine Arts, Prague, under Joseph Bergler and František Waldherr (1784-1835). The Academy did not have a sculpture department at that time, so he also studied at the Vienna Academy of Fine Arts with Johann Nepomuk Schaller and Franz Käßmann (1760–1833).
From 1839 to 1849, he lived in Italy, where he improved his knowledge of the old masters and came under the influence of newer masters, such as Antonio Canova and Bertel Thorvaldsen. He also honed his technical skills by carving Carrara marble. The following year, he was knighted by Emperor Franz Joseph and given the noble appellation "von Wachstein".
He was named a Knight of the Order of Franz Joseph in 1858 and a member of the Order of the Iron Crown (Class III) in 1875.