Vilhelm Hammershoi

We authenticate, certify, issue certificates of authenticity (COA), appraise the value and broker the sale of paintings and drawings by Vilhelm HAMMERSHOI.

Danish

Born: 1864, Copenhagen, Denmark.

Died: 1916, Copenhagen, Denmark, aged 51.

He spent most of his life in Denmark, particularly in Copenhagen, where he lived and worked. His brief travels took him to London and Paris, where he absorbed influences from European art movements of his time.

Typical Subject Matter:

Vilhelm Hammershøi is primarily known for his interior scenes, often featuring quiet, contemplative views of empty rooms, corridors, and domestic spaces. He also painted portraiture, mostly of his family members, particularly his wife, Ingeborg. His works are notable for their intimacy and mood, often conveying a sense of solitude and quiet reflection. These pieces often show windows, doors, and furniture, while human presence is either absent or minimal, making the spaces themselves the primary subject.

He was also known for landscape painting.

Typical Style:

Hammershøi is renowned for his minimalistic approach and subdued colour palette. His works are often described as quiet, melancholic, and atmospheric. The spaces in his paintings feel almost empty. In his interior scenes, he depicted sparsely furnished rooms with muted light.

His style is influenced by Impressionism but avoids the vibrancy and movement typical of that movement, instead favouring muted tones and subtle lighting. He used soft, natural light that plays delicately on walls and objects. His figures, when present, are often placed with their backs to the viewer, emphasizing privacy and distance. He typically used a thin, smooth application of paint. His portraits and interior scenes are notable for their refined detail and subtle texture, with the artist often focusing on the softness of light filtering through windows or illuminating the surfaces of furniture. His attention to light and shadow is particularly evident in his drawings, where delicate gradations of tone are key to the mood of his works.

Typical Material and Media:

Hammershøi mostly worked in oil on canvas for his larger compositions. For smaller studies and sketches, he also employed watercolour and pencil on paper.

If you own a painting or a drawing by or attributed to Vilhelm Hammershoi, we would like to learn about it. Please send us photos or contact us at [email protected]. You will generally receive a response within 24 hours.