Born in Stockholm, his father was printmaker Sven August Peterson who, among other things, printed securities.

His largest painting from Spain was La feria ("The Feast Day", 1882, Gothenburg Museum of Art), which depicts a breakfast in Granada.

Because Birger suffered from severe rheumatism, he found it increasingly difficult to cope with the winters in Paris.

The owner of the hotel had two adult daughters, one of whom was named Matilda, who became Hugo Birger's great love.

The painting was purchased by Pontus Fürstenberg for 10,000 Swedish riksdaler - which can be seen at Gothenburg's art museum today.

[5][circular reference] In 1885, Birger became one of the most ardent among the Opponenterna, a group of artists who demanded reform of the Royal Swedish Academy of Fine Arts .

At the "Opponenterna's exhibition" in Blanch's art salon in Stockholm on September 15, 1885, Birger contributed several paintings.

The painting was hung above a door in the salon and the jury's prize instead went to Richard Bergh's "Portrait of my wife".

Handelstidningen's critic admitted that "Breakfast at Ledoyen" was one of the "mature and most beautiful works the artist produced".

In addition to rheumatism, he had pulmonary tuberculosis that had been lurking for a long time, which turned into so-called galloping pneumonia .

Due to an increased number of thefts in the area, the original relief was removed in 2008 and is now replaced by a copy.

[6] This article contains content from the Owl Edition of Nordisk familjebok, a Swedish encyclopedia published between 1904 and 1926, now in the public domain.