Vilhelm HammershøiDanish, 1864–1916Strandgade, Sunshine
About the painting
One of Denmark’s most celebrated artists, Vilhelm Hammershøi was a painter of quiet spaces, mystery, and silence. Among his most memorable works are paintings of his apartment at 30 Strandgade in Copenhagen, here seen with the sun shining through a window, illuminating the floor and door to the right, while a woman stands in the shadows. The nearly empty room, muted tones, and closed door next to a window evoke a haunting mood filled with psychological complexity.
The Cleveland Museum of Art
Particulars
- Accession number
- 2023.38
Meanwhile, in the life of Vilhelm Hammershøi
The whole life1898–1909
Lives at Strandgade 30
From 1898 to 1909 he lives with his wife at Strandgade 30, where he paints many of his best-known interiors. Ida often appears in them, usually seen from behind, and is also the model in similar works by her brother Peter Ilsted, Hammershøi’s lifelong friend, business partner and colleague.
by 1905
German collectors buy his paintings
By 1905 Hammershøi’s works have taken Germany by storm, and German collectors buy many of the master’s canvases.
1905
Rilke writes about Hammershøi
Rainer Maria Rilke writes of the artist that he is not one of those about whom one can speak quickly: his work is wide-ranging and slow, and whenever one comprehends it, it offers an occasion to talk about what is important and essential in art. Rilke and Emil Nolde sought him out and both remarked on his retiring manner and reluctance to talk.
1906
A large exhibition in Hamburg
A large exhibition of Hammershøi’s work is organised in Hamburg.
