Following his legal studies he started to paint as the student of Sándor Wagner and Gyula Benczúr in Munich. Later he studied under the guidance of J. P. Laurens at the Julian Academy in Paris. Initially he painted anecdotal pictures (The Baby Can Walk, Lizard etc.), scenes from the Jászság region, and then large historical paintings following the style of Bertalan Székely and Viktor Madarász (The Siege of Buda Castle in 1849, Hungarians Before Kiev etc.). His name became widely know in 1881 because of his painting titled 'The Flood in Szeged'. His fresco cycle titled 'The History of the Hussars' made for the Hungary Hall of the World Expo in Paris was awarded the Lotz Prize and the Cross of the Legion of Honour. He painted the new frescos of the baroque church of Jászapáti. He also made several illustrations to the works of the Hungarian poet, Petőfi and others. His work 'String Quartet' received a Grand Prize in 1887. In 1929 the Art Gallery of Budapest organised an exhibition in memory of him.