Vilhelm Hammershøi

Symbolist painter Vilhelm Hammershøi created intimate, atmospheric interiors and muted landscapes that have been compared to the work of Dutch Master Johannes Vermeer. Hammershøi took drawing lessons beginning at the age of eight, later studying at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts. Known for his velvety brushstrokes and subtle palette of deep mauves, grays, and pale yellows, Hammershøi depicted calm, enigmatic architectural spaces whose emptiness invites quiet contemplation. He produced some of his most famous works between 1898 and 1909, which portray the patterns of light that came in through the window of his apartment; these earned him the reputation as a master of light. His works are held in the collections of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Musée d’Orsay in Paris, and the National Gallery, London.