Gabriel Von Hackl was born on March 24, 1843 in Maribor, Germany; the son of a surgeon. He studied anatomy, drawing and archeology at the University of Vienna, and then went to Munich to study at the Academy of Fine Arts. There, he worked under the instruction of Alexander Wagner and Carl Theodor von Piloty.

Following his art education, he took a teaching position at the Munich School of Applied Arts and was married. In 1878, Von Hackl became a full professor and until 1919 was the head of the character class at the Munich Art Academy. His colleagues included Franz von Stuck and Wilhelm von Diez.

Hackl was also a member of the group "Luitpold," founded in 1896, a spin-off of the Munich Artists' Association...