Henriette Mayer van den Bergh | |
|---|---|
 Wedding portrait of Henriette van den Bergh, aged 19, by Joseph van Lerius | |
| Born | 9 July 1838 |
| Died | 27 March 1920 (aged 81) |
| Nationality | Belgian |
Henriëtte Mayer-van den Bergh (9 July 1838 – 27 March 1920) was a Belgian museum founder, known for commissioning the building and establishing Museum Mayer van den Bergh, which she curated until her death.
She was the daughter of the Antwerp senator Jean Félix Van den Bergh who ran the “La Cloche” brewery with his brother Maximilien.[1] Henriette married the Cologne businessman Emil Mayer in 1857, who had moved to Antwerp to open a franchise for his family's pharmacy and spice business.[1] The Mayer-Van den Berghs purchased the 'Hof van Arenberg' on the corner of Lange Gasthuisstraat and Arenbergstraat in 1861 and renovated it to suit their taste.[1] They had two sons, Fritz and Oscar. After the death of her husband Emil in 1879, Henriette withdrew from society but turned to the study of art. Her oldest son Fritz broke off his studies to move back in with her and Oscar took over the family business. In 1887 Fritz took her name, and in 1888 both sons were granted noble titles.[2] Fritz became thereafter known in the art world as 'Chev. Mayer-van den Bergh'.
- ^ a b c Hotel Mayer-van den Bergh in erfgoed Vlaanderen
- ^ Henriëtte van den Bergh, Fritz’s mother on museum website