A serious illness, from 1812 to 1813, prevented him from pursuing his career. No sooner had he recovered, than he found himself conscripted for the Befreiungskriege against Napoleon. Altogether, he lost three years to these interruptions.
In 1822, he began a journey, on foot, to Rome. During his stay there, he became an honorary member of the Accademia di Belle Arti di Roma. He returned to Dresden in 1828.