He was the son of Franz Herterich (1798–1876), a sculptor and
art restorer. His talent was recognized at an early age, so his parents sent him away to study at the age of sixteen. After arriving in Munich in 1859, he was enrolled at the academy, where he studied with
Philipp Foltz and
Carl Theodor von Piloty. Under Foltz's tutelage, he created his first major painting in 1867: a scene from the version of ''
Frithiof's Saga'' by
Esaias Tegnér. This was followed by a dramatic scene depicting
Margaret of Thuringia being cast out of her home, and one of Doctor
Joseph-Ignace Guillotin, demonstrating the invention that would be named after him. By the mid-1870s, he had added sentimental genre scenes of domestic life to his repertoire. Later, he became active in the
Arts and Crafts movement; designing chandeliers and other decorative pieces in collaboration with . He became an assistant professor at the Munich Academy in 1882, and succeeded
Gyula Benczúr as a full professor of "painting from nature" in 1884. During his tenure, he trained hundred of students who appreciated his sympathetic nature and strong work ethic. He was not averse to leisure time, however, and helped plan several events, including a large garden festival at in 1890. In 1903, he began to suffer from health problems that eventually required the amputation of his right foot. The operation was successful and had no effect on his work, but his overall health improved little. Two years later, while preparing for an academic meeting, he experienced extreme discomfort while climbing his stairs. Shortly after, he was diagnosed with "cardiac paralysis" and died. A retrospective exhibition was held by the
Kunstverein München. His best known students included
Max Doerner,
Kaspar Schleibner,
Maximilian Reinitz,
Daniel Israel,
Friedrich Miess,
Carl August Liner,
Lajos Márk,
Roman Kramsztyk,
Alexander Eckener,
Benno Elkan,
Iosif Iser,
Leonid Pasternak,
Josip Račić, and
Max Slevogt. His younger brother,
Ludwig, also became a painter. == Sources ==