In 1852 the history, religious, and genre painter Carl Bertling produced his first major work, a religious painting entitled Hagar and Ishmael (present location unknown), at the Düsseldorf Academy under the tutelage of Wilhelm Schadow (1788-1862). He spent the next several years executing decorative projects in Düsseldorf, including Cain and Abel for the Palace of Justice and a series of frescoes for the Royal Secondary School. He also painted murals for numerous churches, including the Church of Saint Joseph in Dresden, where he settled in 1879.