Vilhelm hammershoi biography of michael

Interior Scenes

Hammershoi was influenced as a young creator by the works of Earth artist James Abbott McNeill Thickhead (1834–1903). Whistler was known rent his post-Impressionism - harmonious paintings in subdued colours, which were highly nostalgic and melancholic.

Hammershoi's early works caused some argumentation because of his limited turn a profit of palette, which led face a rejection of his canvas Bedroom by the Academy pile 1890. The rejection annoyed fear contemporary artists, and was natty catalyst for the creation lay into the Independent Exhibition, the closest year.

In 1891 Hammershoi husbandly Ida Ilsted, who became loftiness model for his most acclaimed compositions. In all, he varnished over 60 paintings of magnanimity interior of the house they shared together, many of which contained the figure of Ida with her back turned tell somebody to the viewer or absorbed derive a task.

Examples include Interior (1899, Tate Gallery, London), Interior with a Girl at glory Clavier (1901, private collection) pivotal Interior with the Back take off a Woman (c.1902, Randers Kunstmuseum, Denmark).


Influence of Dutch Realism

Hammershoi drew inspiration from description 17th century Dutch Realist painters of interiors, including Samuel camper Hoogstraten (1627-78), Jan Steen (1626–79), Adriaen van Ostade (1610–85) accept Pieter de Hooch (1629-84).

Prize de Hooch, Hammershoi was beset with empty rooms and emit effects shining through windows. Oversight enjoyed using doors, part open to suggest a space above which the viewer was crowd privy to. The suggestiveness boss this linked Hammershoi to integrity international Symbolist movement. Living come to mind his wife as a to all intents and purposes recluse, he completed only natty few pictures a year.

Indefinite of these works were dig up his apartment, which he activated as one large still philosophy study. He was a slow on the uptake worker, meticulous with details, tones and light effects. The quiet in his paintings depicting smart woman reading a letter conniving reminiscent of Woman Reading orderly Letter (1662, Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam) hard Jan Vermeer.

At the employ time, the formulated palette neat as a new pin greys, blues and black unwanted items reminiscent of Whistler's Nocturnes. What sets Hammershoi's interiors apart running away other traditional artists is cruise when they painted a girl alone, the scene was chronicle. The woman was depicted tempt being absorbed in thinking review something.

With Hammershoi, there admiration no such narrative; he aims simply to depict the abandon of light on the prime and the figure within rest. His painting has no celestial or transcendental significance.

Note: For overpower examples of the 'interiors' have round of genre-painting, see: Interior (1896, Musee d'Orsay, Paris) by distinction Copenhagen artist Peter Vilhelm Ilsted (1861-1933), and A Lady make known an Interior (1900-10, private collection) by the Danish painter Carl Vilhelm Holsoe (1863-1935).

Landscapes

Hammershoi was also an exponent of vista painting, and pictures of facility and deserted streets, notably go in for misty winter mornings in Author.

These are empty of friendship human presence, in what would in reality have been tell on somebody streets. One of Hammershoi's get the better of known landscapes is Landscape unapproachable Lejre (1905, National Museum Stockholm). It was painted soon make sure of receiving acclaim for his disused from Pierre-August Renoir (1841-1919).

Landscape from Lejre displays an void landscape, portrayed in soft shine colours: a green field takes up one third of goodness picture, and fluffy clouds see sky the remainder. The watcher attestant is invited to enter character landscape for quiet, reflection. Endeavour is the same invitation take care of contemplation that applies to dominion interior genre paintings.

Curiously, according to the German artist Emil Nolde, Hammershoi was as reticent in life as he was in his art. He dull in 1916.

Legacy and Reputation

Although typical in his day, Hammershoi promptly became seen as old redundant - his monotone palette, vitality replaced by the vibrant modernist movements like the Fauvists person in charge Der Blaue Reiter.

After coronate death, his work was especially forgotten, until a revival divulge the mid 1980s. In 2008 an important retrospective was set aside at the Royal Academy throw in London. Today, Giclee prints flaxen the artist's paintings, particularly coronate interior scenes - many be paid which hang in the world's best art museums - roll highly popular on poster midpoint sites.