Gründerzeit era art historian of survey art books. Muther studied in Heidelberg between 1877-78, and, after a tour of Italy, moved to Leipzig in 1881 where he studied under Anton Springer, writing his dissertation under Springer on the artist Anton Graff. Muther worked as a privatdozent in Munich, publishing his 1883 habilitation on illustrated Bibles. He secured a position as curator in the prints and drawings department of the Alte Pinakothek in Munich in 1885.