Eugène Siberdt was born in Antwerp where he trained at the Antwerp Academy under Edward Du Jardin, Polydore Beaufaux, Van Leprous and Nicaise de Keyser.
About ten years after the incident with van Gogh, Siberdt was involved in a conflict with Eugeen Van Mieghem, another student who did not wish to submit to the academic rigour of the Antwerp Academy.