The brother of the wife of A. K. Savrasov.
Was invited to Moscow University, where he founded the Department of history and theory of art and the Study of art objects and antiquities, which gave rise to the Museum of fine arts. At the same time was the curator of the Department of fine arts and classical antiquities of the Rumyantsev Museum, Secretary Society of arts. When did the plan of Foundation of the Moscow archaeological society, Herz became a close associate of Uvarova in this case, and at the first meeting was elected its Secretary (1864), and editor of the Proceedings of the society. From 1872 until his death the Deputy Chairman of the Moscow archaeological society.
He took an active part in the activities of the Scientific Commission of the Russian Historical Museum. In 1886 his extensive and unique library (about 20,000 volumes) was acquired by the Historical Museum. It was mainly luxuriously published until the early nineteenth century art albums Greece, Rome and the Ancient East. In 1886, the Museum moved the collection of drawings, photos and autographs of artists.
