Paul Gustav Fischer (1860–1934) was born in Copenhagen on 22 July 1860 into an upper-middle-class family. His father, who began as a painter, built a successful business making paints and lacquers and gave his son his first lessons. Fischer spent only about two years at the Royal Danish Academy of Art, in his mid-teens, and was largely self-taught. His reputation began to grow after one of his paintings was published in the magazine Ude og Hjemme, which brought him into contact with the young Danish naturalist painters.
He became known as “Copenhagen’s painter” for his lively scenes of streets, harbours, trams, flower sellers and the Tivoli Gardens. After a stay in Paris from 1891 to 1895 his colours grew richer and lighter, and he painted cities in Scandinavia, Italy and Germany as well. His best years ran from about 1890 to 1910. He also painted bright, sunny bathing scenes and took an interest in posters, inspired by Théophile Steinlen and Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec.
For all his popularity he was overshadowed by Laurits Tuxen, the leading Danish painter of the day, and critics paid him less attention than the public did, although his pictures sold well. He died in Gentofte, north of Copenhagen, in 1934.