Anton von Werner, the son of a traditional officer's family from Mark Brandenburg in Germany, was born in Frankfurt an der Oder. In 1862 Anton von Werner began to study painting at the Academy of Arts in Berlin and Karlsruhe. During a journey to Paris in 1865 he made his first history painting. The artist studied in France and Italy for three years. In 1870 Anton von Werner had his first encounter with the Crown Prince Friedrich Wilhelm, later known as the emperor Friedrich III (1831-1888). Since he was invited by the Crown Prince Friedrich Wilhelm, Anton von Werner became an eyewitness to the foundation of the German Empire and made this experience the subject of his most famous painting "Proclamation of the German Empire at Versailles". In 1875 the painter was appointed head of the Prussian Academy which had been established as a university for fine arts. Anton von Werner also became a member of the Prussian Landeskunstkommission.