He is a self taught artist, who came to Indonesia and settled in Surabaya, East Java, as a merchant. Later he owned tobacco plantations in Malang. He spent a total of twenty nine years in Indonesia.

Twenty four of his paintings were used for a set chromolitographs made by J.C. Greive Jr. and published by F. Buffa & Zonen (1865-1872) under the title "Java Naar Schilderijen en Teekenigen van A. Salm".