Vilhelm Hammershoi

[alexandral]

Vilhelm Hammershoi (15.05.1864 – 13.02.1916) was born in Copenhagen, Denmark.

His art sometimes is called "dispassionate" and "purist" but this is strangely at odds with my own impression from it. I would have called his art to be "moody" and "atmospheric" but at the same time it is full of light. It gives me a feeling of disquiet. I often find myself staring at his works as if I stare long enough I find a secret of each painting. Hammershoi almost always painted his models from behind as if to hide the expressions on their faces and he often painted shadows. His most famous model was his wife Ida and though I seem numerous paintings of her I still feel that I don't really know how her face looks like. Was she pretty? Melancholic? It seems that she was..

Few of my favourite paintings of Vilhelm Hammershoi:

A Lady reading in an interior:



A room with a piano and woman in black:



A woman reading by a window (My favourite painting of his – I wish I knew what this lady is reading!)



A woman sewing in an interior:



Bedroom:


Interior with a girl at the clavier:



Interior with a woman reading a letter:



Interior with back view of young woman:



London Street:



Rest



White Open Doors



Light:



I made some icons from his paintings. They are free to share. Preview:

.. .. .. ..



01. 02. 03. 04.

05. 06. 07. 08.

09. 10. 11. 12.

13. 14. 15. 16.

Comments

[meganbmoore.livejournal.com]

I would definately say "atmospheric"

A few of those look like they just need to have a ghost inserted.

[alexandral.livejournal.com]

Agree! And it is like if the ladies on the paintings either are crying or they are ghosts. Very strange feeling!

[sophieisgod.livejournal.com]

Ooh, yay! I always love art recs, because I know next-to-nothing about it. I particularly like the first one, and White Open Doors, and like you say, I love the light.

Thanks a lot for this, I shall have to investigate! :)

[alexandral.livejournal.com]

I have seen some of Hammershoi's paintings on my trip to London, in the National gallery (http://alexandral.livejournal.com/139484.html).

I like "White Open Doors" so much - it just has a feeling of someone's presence, doesn't it?

[baleanoptera.livejournal.com]

I love this post - it is absolutely wonderful and I've been sitting here staring at these paintings for several minutes now. For some reason it's the light through the window that really touches me. I just love how painters tackle outdoor light blended into interior light.

Also Interior with a woman reading a letter looks like it could be a Vermeer homage (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Jan_Vermeer_van_Delft_012.jpg) - don't you think?

The icons are gorgeous! So I'm going to sneak a few, but I'm not sure which once yet - as I like them all. I'm a bit in love with # 1 and # 6 though. They look like pieces of a secret story. (#16 is a Turner right? What is # 15? )

In conlusion? Thank you, thank you, thank you. :D

[alexandral.livejournal.com]

I am so glad you liked - I tend to collect the files of my favourite paintings from time to time and damp them all at once. :D

Also Interior with a woman reading a letter looks like it could be a Vermeer homage - don't you think?

It looks like it! I would really love to have a better file (or to see a real painting :D ) of this one. It looks so transparent!

They look like pieces of a secret story. As meganbmoore said they all give a feeling that something is about to happen. May be a ghost will appear?

SO glad you enjoyed!!!!!!!

Number 15 and 16 are both monet - 15 one is "The Tea Set " and 16 is "London, Houses of Parliament at sunset"

[winterspel.livejournal.com]

I love the artwork! The way the light is painted is gorgeous.

Thank you for sharing these, and I also love the icons. I'll definitely be taking some - do you mind if I use them at my "greatestjournal?"

[alexandral.livejournal.com]

I am so glad you like the paintings - I first saw his painting in London, in National Gallery and fell in love. :D

You are very welcome to use the files any way you want - I am going to mirror this post in GJ anyways.

[miss-dian.livejournal.com]

I love your enthusiasm about paintings :) And your icons are gorgeous like always!

[alexandral.livejournal.com]

I really like painting - as I was explaining Sasha in Moscow it is amazing to see how a painter can make a beautiful story on a flat piece of cloth.

[endlessdeep.livejournal.com]

The word "melancholy" comes to mind when I look at these paintings. I really like them. They are very clean and soft. I think "atmospheric" and full of light are good descriptions as well. I don't think "dispassionate", but "purist" I can see.

At first I thought they were Amish (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amish). I don't know if the Amish would have done paintings. But if they did they would probably look similar to this.

I really like the 5th, 8th and 9th paintings.

The icons you made from them are really nice.

[alexandral.livejournal.com]

I believe Hammershoi's art went through period of being almost completely forgotten at the beginning of this century but he is getting more and more recognition recently.

I am so glad you like the paintings!

I like your thoughts on Amish paintings - I have never encountered an Amish person in RL but I find them quite fascinating..

[cantiga.livejournal.com]

♥
I'm nabbing a few - will credit when used

Thank yoou :)

[alexandral.livejournal.com]

Thank you - I am so glad that you liked them!

[nascentbutterfl.livejournal.com]

beautiful! thank you for sharing Hammershoi, I've never seen his works before. I also have taken icon 12, credited you in my userpics section. Thank you!!

[alexandral.livejournal.com]

I am so glad you enjoyed his paintings! I feel they touch me on a very personal level..

[peripety]

What a gorgeous collection by this painter! Moody somber, atmospheric, indeed. I find them very evocative. The palette he uses is so subtle but I think skillfully done.

Thanks for posting the pics and the icons - I'm saving #12 and will credit you and hammershoi :)

[alexandral.livejournal.com]

The palette he uses is so subtle but I think skillfully done.

I find it interesting how different the colours really are on different paintings and how this makes the mood different, from the colder blue tones to the warmer brown ones..

[schionatulander.livejournal.com]

Thanks a lot for posting these paintings!
I didn't know the artist but find his work really interesting! His paintings remind me a bit of Georg Friedrich Kersting (1785-1842) who also painted interior scenes with solitary figures looking out of a window, stitching or writing a letter. His paintings do have a completely different atmosphere, though. Not so "ghostly". This here is more like Whistlers "Arrangement in Grey and Black: Portrait of the Painter's Mother" (1871), Thomas Wilmer Dewing's "A Reading" (1897) and Khnopff, -- and still fascinatingly unique. I am captivated. :-)

[alexandral.livejournal.com]

I of course HAD to check all the paintings that you mentioned. I agree on many similarities but the unique thing I find in Hammershoi painting is that they seem very emotional for me. Melancholy, strange but so filled with someone's life..

[chasingsass.livejournal.com]

I find his paintings interesting. With us seeing only the back of his subject makes us clueless of what is happening inside them. Hammershoi's paintings suggests to me a paradox: he reveals something about his subjects without being invasive of their privacy.

[alexandral.livejournal.com]

Isn't it interesting that so much about us can be discovered without even looking at our face? I find this so fascinating!

[winchester-319.livejournal.com]

Thanks for posting these paintings. They are beautiful. Have taken a few icons. Will credit when used. Again, thanks.

[alexandral.livejournal.com]

Thank you so much - I am so glad that you enjoyed them!

[posthoc.livejournal.com]

[alexandral.livejournal.com]

Thank you so much- I am glad that you enjoyed!

[maystone.livejournal.com]

Thank you so much for posting these. I've never seen Hammershoi's work before, but I intend to seek out more or it. I love this style of painting, and I'm frustrated that I don't have the artists' vocabulary to articulate what it is about it that affects me so strongly. The palette, certainly. The choice of subject, definitely. Windows, light, doorways, interiors hinted at but not fully shown. Some of Andrew Wyeth's paintings have the same feel as these.

The word that came first to mind was "introspection." There's a privacy about these paintings and a stillness. Even the street scene is static. I just think that they're stunning in their simple beauty. Although I have to say that the one with the open white doors is somewhat unsettling. I'm not sure why, but I suppose that's part of its genius.

Anyway, sorry to prattle on :) I'm scurrying away with 12 and 13, thank you.

[alexandral.livejournal.com]

The word that came first to mind was "introspection." There's a privacy about these paintings and a stillness. Even the street scene is static. I just think that they're stunning in their simple beauty. Although I have to say that the one with the open white doors is somewhat unsettling. I'm not sure why, but I suppose that's part of its genius.

Oh, thank you so much for posting your thoughts – you expressed everything so beautifully that there is nothing to add.. I love your icon – is this from Andrew Wyeth's paintings? I am so sorry if I am mistaken, he is new to me..

[siljamus]

I'm here from......I've completely lost track at this point ;)

Hammershøi is one of my favourite artists of all time, so I just had to take some (# 1, 2, 6, 8, 9, 11, 12 and 13). You've done an amazing job with these, because managing to capture the essence of Hammershøi in 100 X 100 must be damn difficult, and you've done just that.

Will naturally credit when used.

[alexandral.livejournal.com]

Oh, thank you for all your kind words!!!!!

I love Hammershøi's art - his reserve and mystery won't let me go!!!

[emily-shore.livejournal.com]

Taking 11 and 12, thanks.

[alexandral.livejournal.com]

Thank you .:D

[baleanoptera.livejournal.com]

Just mentioning it, in case you didn't know it - but the Royal Academy of Arts has a Hammershoi exhibition running until the 7. of September. More info here. (http://www.royalacademy.org.uk/) I must admit I thought of you immediately when I saw it.

[alexandral.livejournal.com]

EEEEEEEE! Thank you!!!!!!

[normaltrouble.livejournal.com]

These are wonderful, and the colors are amazing!

The Girl at the Clavier, is my special favorite- so eye catching, and working purples and lavenders into minimalist look - wow.

I've never heard of this artist, and was just wandering through the iconmakers I have...

His work reminds me of Hopper's and I wouldn't be suprised if Hopper took some time and made a study of his work.

Thank you, took some icons and will credit.

[alexandral.livejournal.com]

I am so glad you like! This is one of my very personal painters, so mysterious.

[kiaforrest.livejournal.com]

Here I am years, literally, behind. I recently discovered Charles Burchfield paintings ... I'm still in love with what I "find" in them, hidden. But I'm looking forward to Hammershoi now too.

You're such a blessing to my heart's eye! I came looking for icon #6 and the story, I LOVE icon #15 as well - and the hair/ neck, unaware aspect of the "from the back" is fascinating as the way everything else is so Open in comparrison. How he hides the face I mean.
Thanks, thanks, thanks!!!!

[alexandral.livejournal.com]

I am so so glad you like his paintings!!!!!!!!!


I see them in dreams sometimes. :D

[lady-shonagon.livejournal.com]

I know you made these a very long time ago, but I'm in love with number 12 so I hope you don't mind if I use it - thank you =)

[alexandral.livejournal.com]

Thank you so much! I am glad you like them!