Otto Scholderer studied at the Städel Institute Frankfurt under Johann David Passavant and Jakob Becker until 1851, afterwards working as independent painter. During this period Scholderer became friends with Victor Müller who would become his brother-in-law in 1868. Müller acquainted Scholderer with works by Gustave Courbet. Müller persuaded Scholderer to travel to Paris on several study trips between 1857 and 1858 where he became friends with Henri Fantin-Latour and Eduard Manet who would also have an influence on his work.

From 1858 onwards Scholderer lived and worked primarily in Kronberg in the Taunus. In 1866 he moved to Düsseldorf where he met Hans Thoma. He accompanied Thoma to Paris in 1868, re...