Masterpiece by Vilhelm Hammershøi – Interior, Strandgade 30

At our Live Auction on 26 November, we presented an interior painting by Vilhelm Hammershøi (1864-1916) of Strandgade 30, where his wife Ida stands next to a window. This is Hammershøi at his best – depicting his residence in Christianshavn in the heart of Copenhagen, where he lived with Ida from 1898-1908. The two were engaged in 1890, and she became a model in many of his paintings.

Hammershøi has few equals when it comes to painting enigmatic and atmospheric spaces. These interiors have made him the most sought-after Danish artist on the international art market. The painting from Strandgade 30 that is up for auction is a striking example of his abilities. Ida stands alone in a characteristically empty room with a beautifully profiled door, tall panels, plastered ceilings and paned windows, through which the light falls and is reflected on the floor. Hammershøi uses countless shades of white, grey and brown to create a space with a distinctly timeless metaphysical feel to it – a unique Hammershøi atmosphere.

It is during his years in Christianshavn (1898-1908) that he achieves a breakthrough as a painter of interiors. The interiors are never direct representations of his surroundings, but rather subjective interpretations of the space that is always staged by himself. The conscious control of the setting, in conjunction with the almost abstract aesthetic beauty and clear musical qualities of the created space, makes Hammershøi a key figure of Danish Symbolism.

Hammershøi's rare talent earned him great international acclaim even during his own lifetime. His artwork captivated important cultural figures of the time such as Auguste Renoir, Théodore Duret, Rainer Maria Rilke and others.

He was an elusive, reflective and taciturn person who did not reveal which artists inspired him. However, Hammershøi's first trip abroad to Holland and Belgium in 1887 was undoubtedly due to his interest in Dutch painters. 

These included Jan Vermeer van Delft (1632-1675), whose paintings are characterised by a similar approach to framing, overlaps, empty spaces and a restrained colour palette. The interiors of Pieter de Hooch (1629-1684) with their open doors, where you can see from room to room, and Pieter Saenredam's (1597-1665) clear and harmonious depictions of buildings, have also served as inspiration for Hammershøi. The works of the American painter James McNeill Whistler (1834-1903) have likewise been of importance to the Danish painter.

Furthermore, the proliferation of the photographic medium and its influence on the perception of light, framing, motifs etc. played a colossal role in Hammershøi's art.