Holger Drachmann (Danish painter) 1846 - 1908
Catalogue Note Skagens Museum Holger Drachmann was a very important figure in the story of the Skagen Colony. It was he, who first arrived in 1872, and persuaded many artists to go there with him the following years. He instantly fell in love with the breathtaking nature and the simple life. Drachmann was originally a marine painter, although over the years he came to be known as a writer, poet and composer, which is how he became well-known and loved all around the country. From his travels around Europe he would become well-known and respected due to his charismatic personality and his role in the modern breakthrough. Over the years as Drachmann would travel all over Europe, he still remained fond of Skagen. After having had relationships with a long line of women – having married and divorced two – he settled in Skagen where he bought a house for him and his third wife Soffi in 1902. They lived together until Drachmann’s death in 1908. Drachmann was buried in the dunes overlooking the two oceans at Grenen, and the house turned into a museum in 1911. His grave can be experienced at Grenen, and his story is told in our museum.
