 In 1870, he was awarded a gold medal for his portrayal of Gustav Vasa receiving a new translation of the Bible (used on a postage stamp in 1941).He studied with Johan Christoffer Boklund, a history painter who had a major influence on his style and, for a short time, Johan Fredrik Höckert.A travel scholarship in 1873 enabled him to visit Copenhagen, Düsseldorf and Paris.