Background
Peter Hertz was the son of Julius Hertz (1842-1920), a wholesale merchant, and his wife Henriette F. Hertz (1850-1921.
Peter Hertz was the son of Julius Hertz (1842-1920), a wholesale merchant, and his wife Henriette F. Hertz (1850-1921.
Until 1896, he attended a technological school, while he worked as a brick layer and learned how to be an architect.
Hertz became a graduate student at a private college in 1893 and took many philosophy courses. Then he began independent art historical studies and eventually went to study in 1899 on a three-year trip to Germany and Italy. In 1901 he worked in London, but he began to travel for his studies in 1903, primarily in Italy, but also in the Netherlands.
During those years, he focused on Classical Architecture, obtaining a Doctorate in Philosophy.
He was also interested in contemporary art in Denmark and wrote "Gennembruddet i 70"erne, Betragtninger i Anledning af Raadhusudstillingen og den Hirschsprungske Samling" ("The breakthrough in the 70s, Reflections on the occasion of Raadhusudstillingen and the Hirschsprung Collection" in Art, IV, 1902-1903). In 1915, he was hired to be the curator of the Danish National Museum of Artist
As his main interest began to shift more towards contemporary art, he started to advocate for it through making monographs and working on the biographies of L. A. Ring, Gerhard Henning and Kai Nielsen. Hertz served on the board of the Danish Museum of Art Association and the Association of French Arts.
In 1919, Hertz founded the Association for Contemporary Art and also served as its first President.
He was portrayed by Herman Vedel in 1901, 1902 and 1903, Fritz Burger in Switzerland, L. A. Ring, and about 1932 other drawings including some by Ludvig Find (Frederiksborg Museum) and Arne Lofthus about.
From 1934 he was a member of the Board of the Rønnenkamp"ske Grant.