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

[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..

[endlessdeep.livejournal.com]

I don't really know if Amish people do paintings, because they are all about the simplicity and lack of decoration. But if they did I think their paintings would look like those. :)

[alexandral.livejournal.com]

I agree - they most likely don't . And I also agree that their painting could have looked like this, may be because they descended from a similar culture?

[endlessdeep.livejournal.com]

...may be because they descended from a similar culture?

yes. :)