Vilhelm Hammershøi

The most fascinating part of the unusual oeuvre of Danish artist Vilhelm Hammershøi (1864–1916) is made up of quiet, haunting interiors, which are only occasionally inhabited by a single person—generally Ida, his wife. The austerely geometrical paintings of his apartment in Copenhagen comprise almost half of his work. Captured in subtle, powdery hues of white, gray, and blue, these sparsely furnished rooms emit an almost hypnotic calm and possess an almost melancholy, introverted mood. Besides Hammershøi’s delicate interiors, this monograph presents a selection of his remarkable portraits, landscapes, and atmospheric urban panoramas. While Hammershøi’s works have to be placed and encountered in the context of late-nineteenth-century Symbolism, their special, puristic austerity makes them a unique contribution to modern European art, which is strikingly demonstrated by this volume.   Exhibition schedule: Royal Academy of Arts, London, June 28–September 7, 2008   Na tional Museum of Western Art, Tokyo, September 30–December 7, 2008