Born in Hungary in 1839, Pál Böhm had inherited his drawing talents from his father. After having served in a children's company and having worked in a military arms factory during the Hungarian War of Independence, he started an apprenticeship as a carpenter and coppersmith.

Around 1855 Böhm worked as a decorative painter, after that he earned his living as traveling actor. Then he took painting lessons in his hometown Nagyvárad as the pupil of Antal Haan. In 1862 Böhm spent some time in Debrecen, Pest and in Vienna, where he copied the great masters in the National Gallery and the Belvedere.

Sometime after this he opened his own painting school in Arad, where the Impressionist László Paál became his best ...