Vilhelm Hammershøi
Vilhelm Hammershøi was one of the most well-known artists in Scandinavia in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. He was celebrated for his subdued and quiet paintings of interiors, often populated by figures with their backs turned. His earlier work, showing daily life’s stale banality, are more popular than his later paintings, which critics felt became too detailed and lost their simplicity and magical quality. Almost 100 years after his death, Hammershøi’s painting Da Læser et Brev (Ida Reading a Letter) (1899) sold at auction for over $2 million—the record for a Danish work of art.
Editorial (4)
Copenhagen’s Glorious Mess of Movements and Manifestos
(Want to explore other “Artropolises”? Check out our series.)
The Insider's Guide: An Art-Filled Trip to Denmark
When cultures become “viral,” they’re often repackaged as simplified, easy-to-digest versions of themselves. Exhibit A: Denm…
This Danish Landscape is a Master Class in Simplicity
In this series, the curatorial team presents one work from the Meural art library we find essential. (See all installments.)…
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