Frans Oerder was born in Rotterdam in the Netherlands and studied art at the Rotterdam Academy as well as under <a href=" https://findartvalue.com/artist/ernest-blanc-garin">Ernest Blanc-Garin</a> in Brussels, before moving to Pretoria in 1890. He worked briefly for the Zuid-Afrikaansche Spoorweg Maatschappij (NZASM) and later taught art at the Staatsmeisjesskool, which became Pretoria Girls High