About Henri van Abbe
Lived 1880 – 1940 (aged 60). Henri van Abbe was a Dutch entrepreneur and art collector.
Henri Jacob van Abbe (; 8 January 1880 – 18 November 1940) was a Dutch tobacco industrialist and art collector. He is the founder of the Van Abbemuseum in Eindhoven.
Life Henri Jacob van Abbe was born on 8 January 1880 in Amsterdam, in the Netherlands.
Van Abbe was a cigar manufacturer in Eindhoven. In 1900, he founded a cigar factory in Amsterdam, which later expanded. A committed art collector, he founded the Van Abbemuseum in Eindhoven in 1936 and made a major donation to it.
In the 1930s, he regularly travelled to Belgium with Tinus van Bakel, a colleague in the tobacco trade and an art collector, to acquire works of art. In 1936, one of the places they visited was the artists' colony of Sint-Martens-Latem.
Van Abbe died on 18 November 1940 in Eindhoven.
Don’t just read it —
keep it.
Full-length biographies made to live with: read them, listen on the way to work, watch them tonight.
- E-book
- Audio
- Video
Instant download · yours to keep · every purchase keeps this site free
Important facts
Related people
Same field, nearest in time
Contemporaries
People whose lives overlapped Henri van Abbe's
Frequently asked questions
Who was Henri van Abbe?
Dutch entrepreneur (1880-1940)
When was Henri van Abbe born?
Henri van Abbe was born on 8 January 1880 in Amsterdam.
When did Henri van Abbe die?
Henri van Abbe died on 18 November 1940 in Eindhoven.
What was Henri van Abbe's occupation?
Henri van Abbe was an entrepreneur and art collector.
What nationality was Henri van Abbe?
Henri van Abbe was Dutch.
Sources & further reading
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Henri van Abbe. https://biography.guide/henri-van-abbe/
MLA: "Henri van Abbe." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/henri-van-abbe/.
Chicago: "Henri van Abbe." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/henri-van-abbe/.
Data last updated: 2026-09-20 · Spot an error? Report a correction.
Page generated 2026-09-27 05:32 UTC