Daniel Henry Kahnweiler
(D.H. Kahnweiler)

Born Daniel Henry Kahnweiler in Mannheim, Germany, he was the son of a prominent German stock broker. In 1902 his family sent him to work at the Stock Exchange in Paris, France, where he used his spare time to visit the city's various museums and art galleries. His passion for the arts led to his giving up his financial career. Using his business acumen, he became an art dealer and in 1907 opened his own gallery at 28 rue Vignon in Paris.

Along with such men as Alfred Flechtheim, Paul Cassirer, and Daniel Wildenstein, Kahnweiler was one of the most extraordinary and unique art connoisseurs of the 20th century. Rather than exhibiting the popular works of the past and present greats, Kahnweiler championed burgeoning artists such as André Derain (June 10, 1880 - September 8, 1954), Alberto Giacometti (October 10, 1901 - January 11, 1966) and others, who had come from all over the globe to live and work in Montparnasse at the time.