He studied at the School of Fine Arts in Kraków from 1852 to 1858. His professors were Wojciech Korneli Stattler and Władyslaw Łuszczkiewicz. He also studied in Munich and Vienna. Then he returned to Kraków and stayed in the town for the rest of his life. He was the principal of the Academy of Fine Arts in Kraków. Among his students were Jacek Malczewski, Józef Mehoffer and Stanisław Wyspiański.