Oscar Troplowitz (1863–1918) was one of the most innovative entrepreneurs on the threshold to the twentieth century. As the owner of the Beiersdorf Company and inventor of NIVEA Cream, Troplowitz introduced brands that remain famous to this day. Working with advertisers Hollerbaum & Schmidt and film producer Julius Pinschewer, he commissioned pioneers of advertising art. He hired the aspiring architect William Müller to design his villa. During the final years of his life, the manufacturer became an enthusiastic collector of Impressionists such as Auguste Renoir, Alfred Sisley, Max Liebermann, and Max Slevogt. He bequeathed exalted works of art to the Hamburger Kunsthalle, including Pablo Picasso’s Buveuse assoupie, which was seized in 1937 and declared “degenerate.” This publication celebrates the 150th birthday of Oscar Troplowitz and traces the life and influence of this resourceful man. Exhibition schedule: Hamburger Kunsthalle, January 18–September 30, 2013