Henrik Johan Ibsen, often referred to as the "father of realism" and one of the most influential playwrights of his time, was a seminal figure in the development of modernist theatre. Ibsen's significant contributions to drama led him to be widely regarded as the foremost playwright of the nineteenth century, profoundly impacting later figures such as George Bernard Shaw, Oscar Wilde, and Arthur Miller.

His major works, including Brand, Peer Gynt, An Enemy of the People, Emperor and Galilean, A Doll's House, Hedda Gabler, Ghosts, The Wild Duck, When We Dead Awaken, Rosmersholm, and The Master Builder, continue to be performed worldwide, with A Doll's House being notably recognized as one of the world's most performed plays. His earlier work, such as the poetic and cinematic Peer Gynt, contains strong surreal elements, while his later dramas are known for their critical examination of societal norms and personal facades.

Ibsen was born into a prominent merchant family in the port town of Skien, Norway, and spent 27 years living in Italy and Germany, though his plays often reflected the Norwegian setting of his childhood. He wrote his plays in Dano-Norwegian and was published by the Danish publisher Gyldendal. Notably, he is the father of Prime Minister Sigurd Ibsen. Nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature multiple times, Ibsen's legacy endures, and he remains a central figure in European drama and world literature.