Schirmer was started as a student of
historical painting under Schadow at the
academy of Düsseldorf. Later, he came under the influence of
Carl Friedrich Lessing and
landscape painting and began painting historical landscapes in the manner of
Nicolas Poussin. He became known as one of the first of the
Düsseldorf school of painting. In 1830 he became an assistant professor, and later, in 1839, a professor at the Düsseldorf Academy. In the meantime, he visited and painted in
Belgium, the
Black Forest, Switzerland, the
Netherlands,
Normandy and Italy. In 1854, he took up the role of a director at the art school at
Karlsruhe, where he died. This artist is sometimes confused with
August Wilhelm Ferdinand Schirmer, who had similar interests, and belonged to the same era. In addition, both were known by the name Wilhelm Schirmer, and were students of
Wilhelm von Schadow, although at different academic institutions. ==Characteristic works==