Heinrich Hirschsprung (February 7, 1836-1908), a Danish Jew of German heritage, was an arts patron and, together with his brother Bernhard Hirschsprung (1834-1909), ran a tobacco manufacturing plant. He was the son of Abraham Marcus (1793-1871) and Petrea Hirschsprung née Hertz (1804-1891). Abraham was born in Friedberg near Frankfurt am Main in contemporary Germany and established his tobacco business in Copenhagen in 1826. Heinrich and Bernhard took over the family business in 1858.

Heinrich married Pauline Elisabeth Jacobson (July 9, 1845-1912), afterwards known as Pauline Hirschsprung, on June 26, 1864. They had five children— Ellen, Ivar, Åge, Robert og Oskar. Pauline was the daughter of wholesaler Daniel Simon (1791-1858) and Friederiche Jacobson née Gerhardt (1811-1855).

They had their first apartment on Højbro Plads in Copenhagen and then a house on Bredgade. They also had country homes in the north of Sjælland as well as in Italy.

Hirschsprung began his art collection in 1866, with the purchase of a painting by Julius Exner (1825-1910). His collection expanded over the years with additional purchases of paintings by contemporary Danish artists. It was a modern collection comprised of examples from the Skagen Painters , the Fynboerne (Funen Artists) and Symbolists.

Hirschsprung was a great supporter, both personal and economic, of P.S. Krøyer who met him through Frants Henningsen , a mutual friend at the Royal Danish Academy of Art (Det Kongelige Danske Kunstakademi). Hirschsprung admired Krøyer’s artistic talent and skills, and he purchased the first paintings from him in 1874— four watercolors from Hornbæk . They continued a life-long friendship. Hirschsprung helped finance Krøyer’s travels and foreign residence during the years 1877-1881, giving him the economic support needed to develop his artistic skills. Krøyer was a friend of the entire family. He carried on a personal correspondence with Pauline and made a number of family portraits of Heinrich, Pauline and their children.

In addition to P.S. Krøyer, their homes were gathering places for such other contemporary artists as authors Holger Drachmann (1846-1908), Herman Bang (1857-1912) and Henrik Pontoppidan (1857-1943) and painters Wilhelm Marstrand (1810-1873), Frederik Vermehren (1823-1910), Otto Bache (1839-1927), Kristian Zahrtmann (1843-1917), Frants Henningsen (1850-1908).

The Hirschsprung Collection (Den Hirschsprungske Samling) was established by Pauline and the museum opened in 1911 with 45 paintings, 13 pastels, 205 drawings, 14 watercolors, 12 busts, 55 sketchbooks as well as P.S. Krøyer’s letters and documents. The collection has grown since then, and the museum continues to this day in a beautiful park setting near central Copenhagen, around the corner from the National Gallery (Statens Museum for Kunst ).

External links

• The Hirschsprung Collection (Den Hirschsprungske Samling)
• The story of P.S. Krøyer and Heinrich Hirschsprung (in Danish), with Hirschsprung family portraits by Krøyer.