Adolf Schmidt is known for Horses and riders in challenging landscape paintings.

The painter studied among others as pupil of Ludwig Richter at the Kunstakademie in Dresden. From 1848 onwards he was taught by Joseph Karl Stieler and Johann Adam Klein at the Munich Academy.

Longer stays in Paris, Belgium and Holland took place from 1862 onwards. Schmidt also spent a longer period in Rome and Sicily from 1864 to 1865.