Early Life, Family and Training

Philip Fischer enters the scene on 1 April 1817 in Rudkøbing, Denmark. He is born into a Jewish family whose roots trace back to Poland. His father, Philipp Fischer senior, operates as a grocer and later transitions into cattle ranching. This lineage of commerce provides a stark contrast to the artistic impulses that begin to surface in the young man.

The pull toward the canvas leads Philip Fischer to Copenhagen. He seeks entry into the Academy of Arts, attempting to forge a path away from the family's mercantile traditions. He enters the institution to begin his formal artistic education, seeking the technical discipline required of a professional painter. However, the training remains incomplete. He leaves the Academy before finishing his studies, a departure that marks a definitive shift in his trajectory.

Career as a Painter and Manufacturer

The pursuit of a professional painting career meets the practical demands of survival. Fischer exhibits his work at Charlottenborg Palace in 1843, 1851, and 1852. These exhibitions mark his presence in the Danish art scene, yet the financial realities of supporting a growing family necessitate a shift in focus. The dream of a pure artistic life gives way to the stability of trade.

He transitions into the role of a master painter and eventually a varnish manufacturer. This move into manufacturing painters' products provides the financial security his household requires. The business of varnish becomes the foundation of his professional life, securing his standing in Copenhagen. While his own canvases take a secondary position to his industrial pursuits, his influence extends through the materials he produces.

The artistic impulse remains present in the household, redirected toward the next generation. His sons, August and Paul, both pursue careers as painters, carrying forward the creative ambitions that Philip himself had to balance against the necessity of commerce.

Personal Life and Family

On 2 June 1853, Philip Fischer marries Gustafva Albertina Svedgren in Copenhagen, Denmark. A Swedish woman, she enters a household shaped by the tension between artistic ambition and the practicalities of the merchant class. The marriage marks a period of domestic establishment as Fischer navigates the shift from his training at the Academy to the realities of his growing business interests.

The couple has two sons. The first, August, is born on 11 March 1854. Years later, on 22 July 1860, Paul Gustav Fischer enters the family. While Philip finds stability through the manufacturing of paints and varnishes, the drive for a formal artistic career remains a persistent thread in the family lineage. His sons carry this ambition forward, seeking the professional recognition that Philip's own path had partially diverted toward industry.

Later Years and Death

The final years of Philip Fischer's life were spent in Copenhagen, Denmark. Having transitioned from the pursuit of fine art to the practical stability of varnish manufacturing, he remained a fixture in the city until his passing. He died in Copenhagen at the age of 90 on 12 August 1907.

The end of his life saw him laid to rest in Frederiksberg, Denmark. His burial took place on 17 August 1907 at the Frederiksberg Ældre Kirkegård.