Pierre Paul Brandebourg, also Peter Brandenbourg (1824-1878) was a Luxembourg painter and photographer. He was the first to open a photographic studio in the city of Luxembourg.
Brandebourg's parents were Charles Brandebourg, a gardner, and Anne Lambert. After completing high school at Luxembourg's Athénée, he first studied art under the Luxembourg painter Jean-Baptiste Fresez before spending terms at the academies of Paris, Antwerp and Munich. Returning to Luxembourg, on 4 May 1850, he married Catherine Kranenwitter from Rollingergrund. Both his son Charles (Carl) (1851–1906) and his grandson Emile followed in his footsteps, working as photographers in Luxembourg.[1] [2]
Although Brandebourg was recognized as a competent artist with his paintings of men at work and scenes of the harbour in Antwerp or the steel factories of Luxembourg, he had difficulty in making a living from art alone. He therefore turned to photography, opening Luxembourg's first photographic studio on the Fish Market. As a result of the care he took with composition and lighting, having one's portrait taken "chez Brandebourg" became increasingly popular.[1]
Brandebourg died in 1878 at his home on Avenue Amélie in Luxembourg. Most of his paintings and photographs are still privately owned. Some can be seen in Luxembourg's Photothèque.[1] Charles Bernhoeft took over his photographic business.