Georg Ernst Harzen

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Georg Ernst Harzen, painted by Hermann Steinfurth

Georg Ernst Harzen (born November 1, 1790 in Altona ; † February 6, 1863 in Hamburg ) was a merchant , art dealer , auctioneer and patron .

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Georg Ernst Harzen came from a Danish family. His father worked as a civil servant. After completing a commercial apprenticeship, he traveled through Germany , Austria and Italy . He was able to use the contacts gathered during this time for life. Johannes Noodt (1781–1851), who worked as an auctioneer in Hamburg, hired Harzen in 1821. The business premises of the auction house were on Valentinskamp, ​​from 1821 on at Große Johannisstraße 48. Harzen, who was a recognized expert in graphic works of art, ran at least 20 large art auctions until 1847. He had extensive business relationships across Europe. He dedicated himself in particular to the works of old masters, whose drawings he collected and on which he advised his customers. In addition to works of art, Harz also sold coins, conchylia and minerals . At the age of 31 he was a wealthy and influential businessman.

Together with David Christopher Mettlerkamp , Harzen had been a member of the Patriotic Society of 1765 from 1821 , from which the Kunstverein in Hamburg emerged . Harzen took over the post of second secretary as a founding member. The art dealer met Johann Matthias Commeter there in 1823 , who became his business partner. In 1824, Harzen made Commeter managing director of the Commeter Gallery , which shortly after moved to a house in Harz on Neuer Wall. Harzen also showed contemporary art here from 1826 and, together with Commeter, opened the collection to a wider audience. He also enabled the art association to build up its own collection of copperplate engravings and works of art. Harzen's house thus developed into a cultural meeting point in Hamburg.

The great fire destroyed the building in 1842, but a large part of the collection was saved. The architect Friedrich Stammann built a new building, which opened in 1844, on behalf of Harz, but the art dealer himself began to withdraw from the public. In the following years he concentrated on private collecting activities. He also conducted research on art history. By 1860 he had written seven treatises on old master prints. Harzen gained the knowledge during several trips through Europe. He planned to summarize the results in the "History of the Graphic Arts, Hand Drawing and Printing", but did not complete the work.

Georg Ernst Harzen collected drawings by artists from the Netherlands, Germany and Italy. In addition to the works of old masters, he also collected works by contemporary artists. In 1822 he bought more than 300 drawings from the estate of Johann Christoph Erhard , which he exhibited in the Kunstverein in order to advertise contemporary art and drawing as an art form itself. Harzen recognized early on that drawings as an early form of image design had their own value. Young Hamburg painters valued resins as advisors and patrons.

Harzen planned to bring together the works he had collected, notes he made himself, and his private library in a museum and exhibit them so that the public could participate. A copper engraving cabinet was to become a central part of the collection. If the museum is not yet completed by his death, interest income from his estate should be used for such a museum, Harzen said in his will. Harzen and Commeter ended their business relationship in 1856 and divided the property and art collection among themselves.

Georg Ernst Harzen died in early 1863. Commeter took care of his estate and decided to give his share to the museum. The Harzen-Commeter collection opened in the Hamburger Kunsthalle in 1869 comprised 30,000 sheets, which was immeasurably valuable.

literature

Web links

Commons : Georg Ernst Harzen  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Remarks

  1. ↑ Regarding the estate, see also: Silke Reuther: Commeter, Johann Matthias . In: Franklin Kopitzsch, Dirk Brietzke (Hrsg.): Hamburgische Biographie . tape 3 . Wallstein, Göttingen 2006, ISBN 3-8353-0081-4 , p. 79-80 .
personal data
SURNAME Harzen, Georg Ernst
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Merchant, art dealer, auctioneer and patron
DATE OF BIRTH November 1, 1790
PLACE OF BIRTH Altona
DATE OF DEATH February 6, 1863
Place of death Hamburg