Adolf Meckel von Hemsbach, famed for his German landscape and genre art, was born into a distinguished family. His ancestor, Johann Friedrich Meckel the Elder (1724-1774), was a celebrated German anatomist and founder of the Meckel Collection. After the early demise of Adolf's father, Johann Heinrich Meckel von Hemsbach, a professor of pathological anatomy, he was raised by his maternal grandparents in Saint Petersburg.

Adolf's artistic inclinations were nurtured in Stuttgart's high schools, where he began drawing. His formal artistic training unfolded at the Karlsruhe Academy of Fine Arts, under the expert guidance of Hans Gude (1825-1903).

Between 1880-81, Adolf traveled extensively across North Africa and the Middle East, drawing inspiration from places like Egypt, Palestine, the Dead Sea coast, and Jordan. His visit to St. Catherine's Monastery at Mount Sinai was particularly impactful. These journeys influenced his artwork, evident in his numerous oriental genre scenes.

Post travels, Adolf settled in Karlsruhe before relocating to Berlin in 1892. His work was showcased in prominent institutions such as the Royal Academy of Arts in Berlin, Munich, Dresden, Stuttgart, and Vienna. However, in 1893, a turning point came when one of his five submitted paintings was rejected, leading to his tragic suicide.