Background
Brandes was born at Bortfeld, near Brunswick, on 23 May 1803, and learned the rudiments of painting under the guidance of F. Barthels at Brunswick.
Brandes was born at Bortfeld, near Brunswick, on 23 May 1803, and learned the rudiments of painting under the guidance of F. Barthels at Brunswick.
From 1823 to 1825 he attended the Academy of Munich, where he first devoted himself to historic painting under the tuition of Peter von Cornelius, but then turned his attention to landscapes.
On leaving the Academy he proceeded to the Tyrol. In 1830-1831 he visited Italy, and passed much of the time in Rome. On his return he settled down in Brunswick, and became a teacher of painting and design as well as gallery inspector at the Ducal Museum.
In 1845, together with Neumann, he restored the murals in Brunswick Cathedral.
He died at Brunswick on 6 October 1868.