His father, Eduard (now known as "The Elder"), was a well known landscape painter.
First, he finished learning the basics of painting at home, then went to study with Joseph Wenglein.
[2] He decided to work as a landscape painter, so his father's influence was significant, although he gave more attention to staffage.
[2] In the fall of 1891, he developed an unspecified mental illness, and died two years later in a psychiatric hospital.
[1] His son was the flying ace and military officer, Eduard Ritter von Schleich.