Johann Ludwig Rudolf Durheim was born in Bern on 11 February 1811, the son of the baker Rudolf Gottlieb Durheim. He received his artistic training in Geneva under Jean Léonard Lugardon (1801–1884) and in Paris under Ary Scheffer (1795–1858). From 1838, Durheim took part in the Schweizerische Kunstausstellung, a travelling exhibition that was shown in different cities every two years, and was regularly represented with works at this exhibition until 1842. According to a police licence, he stayed in Basel from the end of 1841 to June 1842. On 14 January 1845, the artist obtained a two-year passport for France, Italy and Austria for study purposes (see Pass-Register 1838–1847, Staatsarchiv Bern). In 1846 Durheim travelled to Florence, where he met the English art historian John Ruskin and painted him (Kunstmuseum Bern). Durheim must have left for Cairo shortly afterwards, as the German painter Wilhelm Gentz reported in 1850 that the Bernese painter had already been in Cairo for four years (Gentz, 1853, p. 188). The Burgerbücher in Bern show that Durheim was in Cairo in 1848 and was still absent from the country in 1853 (Mentha, in: Kuthy, Mentha & Hess, 1995, n.p.). In addition to Cairo, he also travelled to Beirut, Damascus and Jerusalem (von Fischer, 1956, p. 84). Gentz described Durheim in 1850 with the following words: ‘Auch Herr Durheim aus Bern, welcher schon seit vier Jahren in Aegypten lebt, und durch Costüm und Sprache vollständig Araber geworden ist, beehrte mich oft mit seinem Besuche. Da derselbe ausgezeichnete architektonische Studien gemacht hat, welche nicht unähnlich den Leistungen des berühmten englischen Malers Luis [Frederick Lewis] sind, und er diese längere Zeit hier fortzusetzen gedenkt, so wird sein Name jedenfalls in einigen Jahren eine verdiente Celebrität erlangen. Durch seine Kenntnisse, seinen Geist und Geschmack machte er die Stunden immer höchst interessant, welche ich in seiner Gesellschaft verlebte.’ (Gentz, 1853, S. 188).

After a long break from exhibiting, Durheim was seen again in 1856 at the Schweizerische Kunstausstellung, this time with works from Egypt and Palestine. For several years, he was again regularly listed among the exhibitors, mostly with works from these countries. In 1857 Durheim married Caroline Steiner (1817–1864) and in 1863 he bought a flat at Gerechtigkeitsgasse 25 in Bern.
Durheim had a close friendship with Albert Anker (1831–1910), which is documented in letters from 1865 until Durheim's death in 1895. A letter from Anker reports that Durheim had travelled to Rome in 1877. In a letter from Durheim to Anker a good ten years later, in 1886, it becomes clear that, disappointed with Rome, he denies the Italian art metropolis its status. He also expresses a pessimistic view of social developments. The friendship between the two artists outlasted Durheim's death. In 1895, Anker successfully lobbied the Gottfried Keller Foundation to purchase various paintings by the artist, which are now in the Kunstmuseum Bern (Mentha, in: Kuthy, Mentha & Hess, 1995, n.p.).
The Kunstmuseum Bern owns 21 oil paintings by Durheim (13 of which can be categorised as Orientalist) and one drawing. There is a further oil painting in the Albert Anker House in Ins.

Buchser, F., Ammann, K. (2001). Von ferne lässt grüssen: Schweizer Orientmalerei des 19. Jahrhunderts. Ausstellung im Kunstmuseum Solothurn. Kehrer Verlag.

Gentz, W. (1853). Briefe aus Aegypten und Nubien. Berlin: Carl Barthol.

Kuthy, S., Mentha, H., Hess, E. (1995). Von König bis Hodler: Werkgruppen von Berner Künstlern des 19. Jahrhunderts. Ausstellung im Kunstmuseum Bern, 14. Dezember 1994 bis 29. Januar 1995. Kunstmuseum Bern.

Von Fischer, R. (1956). Aus den Lebenserinnerungen Karl Jakob Durheims (S. 1–136). In Berner Erinnerungen aus der Zeit des Überganges. Stämpfli & Cie.