The artist specialized in marine subjects, coastal landscapes and depictions of naval battles. The Historic Museum in Lucerne has a large diorama in its collection called Soir après la Bataille and an oil painting depicting the Naval Battle in Saint-Iago.

He traveled extensively in Europe, painting subjects from Edinburgh to Athens and the eastern part of the Mediterranean. Several of his works, including some watercolors, were exhibited in Munich in 1909.

Michael Zeno Diemer studied at the Academy in Munich under Gabriel von Hackl and Alexander von Liezen-Mayer. After studying he traveled along the coasts of southern Italy. The artist initially gained recognition with his watercolors of the Alps. In 1891 Diemer was represented in the German exhibition in London. Two years later he traveled to New York, where he created a diorama for the World's Fair in Chicago together with Beatus Wieland.

Mountains and seascapes eventually became the central subject matter of his oeuvre. After the acquaintance with the director of the shipping company Hapag, Diemer undertook regular voyages during which he found many of his motifs. As a passionate sailor he became a member of the Imperial Yacht Club in Kiel. During his lifetime, the artist took part in many major exhibitions and was honored with several awards.

Michael Zeno Diemer was at home in all painting techniques and, besides normal-sized works, created numerous panoramas. In his commissions he also documented current events such as the Zeppelin landing in Munich on April 1, 1909.

Michael Zeno Diemer was a German landscape and marine painter.