iii

VILHELM
HAMMERSHI
rnt rotrr or siitct
T h is gu ide is given ou t free to
teach ers an d fu ll-tim e stu den ts
with an exh ibition ticket an d I D
at th e E du cation D esk an d is
available to oth er visitors from
th e R A Sh op at a cost of ,.,,
wh ile stocks last) .
For som e tim e n ow Vilh elm H am m ersh i b. sso| h as h ad h is
adm irers in E n glan d. H is art is well kn own n early all over th e world.
L ast su m m er in th e great I n tern ation al E xh ibition at R om e h e was on e of th e
few artists wh o obtain ed th e h igh est prize of th e exh ibition . H am m ersh i s
discreet ch oice of colou rs h arm on ises well with th e old-fash ion ed type
of room wh ich h e u su ally pain ts.
Hammershisentry in thecataloguefor an Exhibitionof Workby
ModernDanishArtists, PublicArt Galleries, Brighton, AprilJuly s,sz
irronucrio
Theexhibition of Danish art at theBrighton Public Art Galleriesin s,sz
wasoneof aseriesat thisprogressivegallery showingmodern art from
all over Europe. Theglowingpraiseheaped on VilhelmHammershi
(ssos,so) asan artist well known nearly all over theworld may
comeasasurpriseto usnow, when hisnameishardly known. Thisis
theparadox of Hammershi. Whilehiswork may appear now to be
gentleand calm, alyrical poetry of silence, for hiscontemporariesthis
very silencewasprovocativeand even controversial. It wasbecauseof
therejection of YoungGirl Sewing(sss,; cat. ,) and Bedroom(ss,o; cat. so)
by theexhibition jury of theRoyal Danish Academy of FineArtsthat
TheIndependent Exhibition (Den frieUdstilling) wasset up in ss,s by
Hammershisfriends, in opposition to theAcademysannual exhibition
held in theCharlottenborgPalacein Copenhagen. But Hammershi
wasnot part of any group and alwaysmaintained hisindependence,
producingwork that unsettled not only theestablishment but even his
friends. No oneknew whereto placehim, and becausehecould not be
tted into acanon of art, hewaslargely forgotten. Sincethes,sos, his
work hasbeen rediscovered and hasundergoneareappraisal both
inDenmark and around theworld.
tari iirt
Fromthebeginningof hislifeHammershi displayed abundant
artistictalent, which hisfather and particularly hismother, Frederikke,
encouraged. Hammershistwo younger siblings, Annaand Svend, also
supported their brother by posingfor him, and Frederikkecollected a
scrapbook of newspaper clippingsrelatingto hiswork throughout her
life. Fromtheageof eight, Hammershi received drawinglessonsand
wastaught by avariety of artists, includingNielsChristian Kierkegaard
(ssoosssz) who washimself taught by Christoer WilhelmEckersberg
(s,s,ss,,), theforemost artist of theDanish Golden Age.
AsDenmark moved towardsaliberal democracy in theearly
nineteenth century, thecountry saw anationalistic ourishingin the
artsand sciences. Thisproduced theDanish Golden Age(c.ssoo,o),
s
ntsiotn t isatarn rnoas, iono
rrirtn t rrantwins irn
sacxitr wio or oaiitrits
zs jut , strrtttr zoos
An Introduction to theExhibition
for Teachersand Students
Written by HelenaBonett
Education Department
Royal Academy of Arts
Supported by OAK Foundation Denmark
and Novo Nordisk
Thisexhibition hasbeen organised by the
Royal Academy of Arts, London, theNational
Museumof Western Art and Nikkei Inc., Tokyo
rror covtr
C at. ,,
Interior. YoungWomanseenfrom
Behind(detail), c.s,o
RandersKunstmuseum, Randers
PhotoNielsErikHybye
tacx covtr
C at. ,|
Viewof theOldAsiaticCompanyor,
TheAsiaticCompanyBuildings(detail), s,oz
Privatecollection, ondeposit at theOrdrupgaard, Copenhagen
PhotoPernilleKlemp
H am m ersh i, h owever,
from th e very rst
m om en t kn ew h ow
to obtain respect for
h im self am on g th e older
fellows, both by h is
stu bborn silen ce an d by
h is h ead stron g m an n er of
drawin g, wh ich , with its
soft sh adin g, already
con tain ed h in ts of th e
delicate beau ties in h is
later, pecu liar m an n er
of pain tin g.
Theartist Emil Hannover
on Hammershi at the
Royal Danish Academy
VILHELM
HAMMERSHI
rnt rotrr or siitct
,
represented by such artistsasEckersberg, Constantin Hansen (ssossso)
and Christen Kbke(sssosss). In ss,,, Hammershi began histraining
at theRoyal Danish Academy wheretheartistsof theDanish Golden Age
had also trained. In sss,, healso joined theIndependent Study Schools
(DefrieStudieskoler), which had been set up thepreviousyear in
opposition to theconservatismof theAcademy. Despitetheir anti-
conservatism, thetutorsat theIndependent Study Schools, includingthe
artist Peder Severin Kryer (ss,ss,o,), wereconfused and taken aback by
Hammershispainting, Kryer apparently comparinghisguresto
butter or lard in moonlight and foetusesin alcohol. However, asKryer
later remarked to oneof theother tutors, I haveapupil who paintsmost
oddly. I do not understand him, but believeheisgoingto beimportant
and do not try to inuencehim.
C at. , Although thisportrait of hisnineteen-year-old sister Annawas
Hammershisrst large-scalepainting, it already displaysmany of the
motifshewasto makeuseof for therest of hislife, such asthewhitedoor
and black dress. Thepaintingwashiscompetition entry for theAcademys
springexhibition prizefor A femaleportrait, three-quarter view, lifesize.
Thethree-quarter-length portrait had been atraditional subject for the
artistsof theDanish Golden Age, and Hammershi may well haveseen
KbkesPortrait of theArtistsSister, CecilieMargrethePetersen, neKbke
(ss,,). However, whileKbkessister sitsin astatic poseand looksdirectly
out at theviewer, Anna, in amoreanimated position, staresbeyond us,
asthough in adream. Hammershisdistinctive, sombrepalettealso
contrastswith thebright coloursof thetraditional Golden Ageportraits.
Most importantly, Annahasno occupation. Traditionally, thesitter would
besurrounded by objectswith their handsoccupied in somefashion,
providingthepotential for asymbolic reading. By removingthesedetails,
Hammershi leavesno aidsfor interpretation other than Annas
expressiveyet introverted faceand hands.
Hammershi did not win theprizefor thispainting. Karl Madsen
(ss,,s,,s), an art critic and friend of Hammershi at theAcademy, wrote
that Hammershi had with thisportrait thrown thegeneral public and
theacademic method of art thegauntlet and placed hisconception of
what isartistic and beautiful so unequivocally on view asnobody hitherto
hasdared in thiscountry. Thepaintingwasso provocativethat agroup
of s artistsassociated with theIndependent Study Schoolssigned an
open letter to theAcademy protestingagainst thedecision not to
awardHammershi theprize.
Why do you think Hammershiscontemporariesfound thispainting
soprovocative?Do you nd anythingprovocativeabout it now?
Why do you think Annaiswearingablack dress?What eect does
thishaveon thecomposition?
z
As you perh aps kn ow I go
to K ryer s sch ool every
day from s.,o to |; th en I
dash h om e an d eat su pper
an d th en it s on to th e
Academ y wh ere I draw
from ,.,o to ,.,o, an d
besides th at I am stu dyin g
Fren ch wh ich , h owever,
I will be stoppin g sh ortly.
Hammershi in aletter
tohiselder brother Otto,
sss,
C at. ,
Portrait of aYoungWoman.
TheArtistsSister Anna
Hammershi, sss,
Oil oncanvas
ssz ,s., cm
TheHirschsprungCollection, Copenhagen
PhotoTheHirschsprungCollection,
Copenhagen/ DOWICFotogra
artist who had moved to London when hewaszs yearsold. Hammershi
wasinterested in many of Whistlerspaintings, such asArrangement in
GreyandBlack. Portrait of theArtistsMother (ss,s), which herecreated in
hisown portrait of hismother, TheArtistsMother, FrederikkeHammershi
(ssso).
Whistler hadalsofacedsomeharshcriticismfor hisindividual
manner of painting. TheartcriticJohnRuskin(sss,s,oo)wroteof
WhistlersNocturneinBlackandGold, theFallingRocket(ss,,): For Mr.
Whistlersownsake, nolessthanfor theprotectionof thepurchaser,
Sir CouttsLindsayoughtnottohaveadmittedworksintothegallery
inwhichtheill-educatedconceitof theartistsonearlyapproachedthe
aspectof wilful imposture. I haveseen, andheard, muchof Cockney
impudencebeforenow; butnever expectedtohear acoxcombasktwo
hundredguineasfor ingingapotof paintinthepublicsface. Whistler
consequentlysuedthecriticfor libel. Hammershi naturallyfeltananity
withWhistler, who, likehim, hadbeencriticisedbytheestablishment.
Yet oneof themainreasonsHammershi soughtoutWhistler onthis
occasionwasthathewaspresidentof TheInternational Societyof
Sculptors, PaintersandGravers. Hammershi hadpaintedTwoFigures
whileinLondonandwanteditexhibitedatthesocietysrstexhibition.
C at. zz In March ss,s Hammershi wrotefromLondon to hisbrother
Svend:
T h e on e pictu re I am pain tin g away at, an d wh ich I h ave worked on sin ce
we cam e back h ere after C h ristm as, is a kin d of dou ble portrait of I da an d
m yself, alth ou gh m y back is alm ost com pletely tu rn ed to th e viewer; an d,
actu ally, th ey are n ot in ten ded to be portraits in th e strictest sen se. I am fairly
satised with it.
Aswith all portraits, thispaintingdemandsadoublereading: both
biographical and art historical. Fromabiographical point of view wecan
read much into thecouplesrelationship. Vilhelmappearsto belooking
intently at Ida, whileher eyesarelowered in an almost modest way. Her
hand restson theempty tableand light isreected fromthegold wedding
ringon her nger. Shehasbeen painted in adelicate, smooth stylewith an
unknown light sourceshiningonto her forehead and neck. Hammershi,
on theother hand, hasrepresented himself asthough heistheviewer of
thepainting, contemplatingIda. Quitealargesection of thecanvasis
taken up by hisback, which ispainted in asombreblack.
Thisportrait seemsto alludeto someof theconventionsfound in
depictionsof ChristsLast Supper. Asin EckersbergsTheLast Supper
(ss,,o), which hungin Hammershisparish church, it wascommon
tohaveadivinelight shiningonto Christ, with theapostlesfacing
towardshim, their backsturned to theviewer. Seen in thiscontext Idas
illuminated forehead givesher acelestial expression and theshapeof her
faceand theslight smileon her lipsaswell asher calmdemeanour lend
,
raris an iono
In Juness,o, Hammershi becameengaged to IdaIlsted (sso,s,,), who
wasthesister of hisfriend and fellow Academy student, Peter. They were
married in September ss,s and immediately set o on their honeymoon,
only returningto Denmark in March thenext year. In fact, thejourney
waslessof ahoneymoon than atour of major European artistic centres
and their museums, in which Hammershi immersed himself. Assoon
asheand Idaarrived in Paris, for example, Hammershi went o to paint
an Ancient Greek relief in theLouvre(cat. s).
Beforethey arrived in Paristhecouplespent threeweekstravelling
through Holland and Belgium, visitingAmsterdam, TheHague,
Rotterdam, Brugesand Antwerp. Hammershi had previously been
onasolo trip to theNetherlandsand Belgiumin sss,, and travelled
extensively in Europeduringhislifetime. Hewasfascinated by Dutch
Golden Ageartists, such asJohannesVermeer (so,zso,,; g. s),
Rembrandt van Rijn (sooosoo,), Jacob van Ruisdael (sozs/ ,sosz)
andPieter deHooch (soz,sos), and spent alot of timein themuseums
in theNetherlandsand Belgium.
WhilehisDanish contemporariessuch astheartist JensFerdinand
Willumsen (sso,s,,s) admired thenew modern art that wasbeing
produced in Paris, Hammershi thought much of it alot of trash and
concentrated histimeand eort on theart of thepast. Ashewroteto
hismother fromParisin ss,s:
You m u stn t be afraid th at I sh all lose m y in depen den ce, it is in n o dan ger.
B u t I h ave travelled to P aris in order to see a great deal an d also to learn
som eth in g. B u t I th in k I will learn m ore from th e old art th an from th e n ew.
O f th e m any ideas th at are abou t I h aven t seen m u ch , bu t on ly h eard th at
th ere were m any ideas abou t.
Hammershi had previously met theinuential French art critic
ThodoreDuret (ss,ss,z,) when hehad won aprizefor YoungGirl
Sewing(cat. ,) at thesss, ParisWorldsFair (Exposition Universelle),
which had ironically been rejected by themoreconservativeRoyal Danish
Academysexhibition jury. Duret subsequently visited Copenhagen in
ss,o and described Hammershi asamaster of therst rank. Through
Duret and theFrench art dealer Paul Durand-Ruel (ss,ss,zz),
Hammershi had ameansof enteringtheParisian art scene. However,
hedid not takeup theopportunity, and never returned to Parisagain.
On theother hand, when Hammershi and Idavisited London
(fromOctober ss,, till May ss,s) they found aplacewith which they
hadastronganity. It may bethat thefamousLondon fogattracted
Hammershi, whosepaintingsoften appear asthough seen through a
kind of mist. Asayoungchild, hehad also been fascinated by thenovels
of CharlesDickens(ssszss,o). However, asin Paris, Hammershi was
not interested in any of theartistic groupsof thetimein London, except
for onepainter, JamesAbbott McNeill Whistler (ss,s,o,), an American

T h ere is a sm all
I m pression ist an d
Sym bolist exh ibition h ere
at th e m om en t wh ich is a
lot of trash . I sh ou ld h ope
for th e Sym bolists th at it
is a very bad exh ibition .
M ost of th e pain tin gs
look like jokes.
Hammershi in aletter
fromParis, ss,z
, o
C at. zz
TwoFigures(TheArtist
andHisWife), or Double
Portrait, ss,s
Oil oncanvas
,z so cm
ARoSAarhusKunstmuseum, Aarhus
PhotoOleHeinPedersen
composition, or onethat wasdeliberately distorted in such away asto
unsettletheviewer.
C at. ,, Thesubject of thispaintingrevolvesaround thelinescreated
through thejuxtaposition and croppingof objects. Our eyeisdrawn from
thetop left of thepaintingto thebottomright, aseach object points, in a
sense, towardsthefemalegure. Although Hammershi haschosen a
strict geometric composition, hehasnot necessarily altered theactual
surroundingsto t in with an idealised structure, asEckersbergmight
havedone. Thepaintingbearscomparison with many of Vermeers
works, such asg. s. However, whileVermeer created aclear foreground,
middleand background through thecareful placingof objectswithin
space, Hammershi doesnot provideuswith such distinct visual spaces.
In Hammershispaintingwehavetheimpression that weare
lookingat astageset that ismissingmany of itsprops. Weareunableto
tell how closethewoman isstandingto thewall, or why shewould be
,
I f on ly people wou ld
open th eir eyes to th e
fact th at few good th in gs
in a room give it a far
m ore beau tifu l an d n er
qu ality th an m any
m ediocre th in gs.
Hammershi in an
interview, s,o,
Fig. s
jonats vtrttr
A Ladyat theVirginalswith
aGentleman(TheMusic
Lesson), c.soozo,
Oil oncanvas
,,., o., cm
TheRoyal Collectionzoos,
Her MajestyQueenElizabethII
PhotoRoyal CollectionPictureLibrary
her somethingof thedivine. By placingIdain theposition of Christ,
Hammershi upsetstheviewershabitual notion of spirituality. Thelack
of clutter in thepaintingand thegleaming, whitetablecloth reveal a
personal spirituality.
In many depictionsof theLast Supper, includingthat of Leonardo da
Vinci (s,zs,s,), thetableclothsoften havestrongcreasesin them, asdoes
thetablecloth inTwoFigures. Tableclothsin Hammershistime, however,
would also havebeen madeof quitethick material that wastypically
starched, so thedepiction of theperfectly creased tablecloth could also be
showingIdasgood housekeeping.
Hammershi saysthat thesearenot portraitsin thestrictest sense and
wecan seethat thisportrait of Idadoesnot resembletheearlier portrait
(cat. sz) very closely. Do you think that Hammershi hasstylised her face?
If so, why?Doessheremind you of any other representationsof women
in art history?
Why do you think thereisnothingon thetable?What eect doesthis
have?What isthedark shadow in thebottomleft-hand corner?
Do you think thispaintingrepresentsahappy relationship?Why?
Unfortunately, Hammershisattempt to contact Whistler failed
becausethelatter wasaway in France, and consequently TwoFigures
missed itsopportunity of beingexhibited in London. Thisdid not stop
himfromreturningto London often, however, particularly after the
English concert pianist Leonard Borwick (ssoss,z,), who had sought
Hammershi out after seeingareproduction of Interior (ss,,; cat. z,)
whilehewason aconcert tour in Denmark, had becomeafriend and
patron.
arcnirtcrurt, ototrr, iionr
In an interview in s,o,, Hammershi explained hispictorial choices:
Wh at m akes m e ch oose a m otif are th e lin es, wh at I like to call th e
arch itectu ral con ten t of an im age. An d th en th ere s th e ligh t, of cou rse.
O bviou sly, th at s also very im portan t, bu t I th in k it s th e lin es th at h ave th e
greatest sign ican ce for m e. C olou r is n atu rally n ot with ou t im portan ce.
I m really n ot in dieren t to h ow [th e m otif s]colou rs look. I work h ard
to m ake it look h arm on iou s. B u t wh en I ch oose a m otif I m th in kin g rst
an d forem ost of th e lin es.
Dueto thethin pigment Hammershi used in someof hispaintings,
thelinesthat hedrew to denethestructureof thecomposition can
sometimesbeseen. Eckersbergoften employed themathematical ratio
known astheGolden Section to composehispaintings, aratio used to
createperfect classical proportion and seen in such paintingsashisThe
Last Supper. Hammershi, on theother hand, preferred amorenaturalistic
s
standingfacingawall with alargeplateunder her arm. However, the
lackof detail lendsan immediacy to thepainting, and to thegurein
particular. Her armiscompletely stretched out to hold theplate, which
nestlesin thecurveof her hip and waist. Theviewer feelsempathy with
thesensation of holdingsomethingin thisway. On theother hand, weare
lookingat her back, and thesensethat sheislost in thought makesusfeel
voyeuristic. Thepunchbowl to her left actsasarounded volumethat
counterbalancesher gureand contrastswith therectanglesthat compose
therest of thepainting. Thelegson thepiano arehidden, which givesthe
impression that it isoating, amotif that had been taken to itsextremein
Interior. Strandgade (s,os; cat. ,o).
Vilhelmand Idahad moved into therst oor of Strandgade,o in
September ss,s, and it wasin theseroomsthat heexplored every
architectural formhecould nd (see, in particular, catsz,, zs, ,z and ,s).
In thispaintingand in Resting(s,o,; cat. ,), Hammershi introduced a
new sensuality in hisguresthat contrasted with hiscool geometry. Like
Caspar David Friedrichs(s,,sso) Womanat theWindow(sszz), where
light hitstheback of awomansneck, thenecksof thewomen in
Hammershispaintingsaresensual. Theloosened hair and slightly
undonedressareeroticised all themoreby thecoolnessof the
surroundings.
What do you think thewoman isthinking?What isshelookingat?
Do you feel empathy for her or do you feel likeavoyeur watchingher?
Thepunchbowl istheonly object that ispainted in detail. What eect
doesthishave?
How do theshapeof thepunchbowl and thegureof thewoman relate
tooneanother?
Around s,oz, Hammershi returned to larger-scalecanvases,
whichhehad used for someearlier works. It wasin thisyear that he
wasworkingon FivePortraits(s,osoz), oneof thelargest paintingsever
produced by aDanish artist. It may bethat hischoiceof subjects
necessitated alarger format ashestarted work on somepaintingsof
impressively grand buildings.
C at. ,| Therst half of theAsiatic Company buildinghad been designed
and built in s,,s by thearchitect Philip deLange(s,os,oo) in alate
baroquestyle. In s,ss an adjoiningwarehousewasbuilt in thesamestyle
that created asenseof symmetry. Hammershi had previously rented a
roomin abuildingdesigned by deLange, and waslater to moveinto the
Asiatic Company buildingwith Idain s,s,. Aswith theperiod architecture
of Strandgade,o and itsold furniture, Hammershi wasinterested in the
architectureof thepast becauseof itssimplicity and beauty.
ss
C at. ,,
Interior. YoungWomanseen
fromBehind, c.s,o
Oil oncanvas
os ,o., cm
RandersKunstmuseum, Randers
PhotoNielsErikHybye
so
s, sz
I n th eir m ajestic
h arm ony of design ,
in th e rhyth m ical balan ce
an d disposal of m asses,
it is as if th e pain ter
h ad borrowed for
th e u praisin g of th e
m on u m en ts on th e
canvas som e of th e
con stru ctive gen iu s of
th eir origin al arch itects.
LeonardBorwick in his
prefaceto thecatalogue
for Hammershis
exhibition at E.J. van
Wisselingh & Co. Gallery,
London, s,o,
C at. ,|
Viewof theOldAsiatic
Companyor, TheAsiatic
CompanyBuildings, s,oz
Oil oncanvas
s,s soo cm
Privatecollection, ondeposit at the
Ordrupgaard, Copenhagen
PhotoPernilleKlemp
s,
Why do you think Hammershi did not paint any peoplein his
architectural paintings?
In s,s,, Sigmund Freud (ss,os,,,) wrotean essay on TheUncanny,
in which heinvestigated theunusual sensation of uncanniness. Deriving
fromtheGerman word for unhomely, uncanninessisthefeelingof
ndingthefamiliar frightening. Freud cited theGerman author E. T. A.
Homanns(s,,osszz) storiesasrepresentingtheuncanny. LikeEdgar
Allan Poe(sso,ss,), with whomHammershi wasoften compared,
Hammershi presentsuswith thefamiliar in such away that it becomes
somewhat terrifying.
TheAsiatic Company wassituated directly oppositeVilhelmand Idas
at on Strandgade,o. Theviewpoint of thispainting, however, isfromthe
road facingtowardsthebuilding, rather than fromthewindowsof their
at. Hammershi used aphotograph of thebuilding, ashedid for some
of hisother works, asareferencefor thispainting. Although thebuildings
themselves, with thegatehousein thecentre, areperfectly symmetrical,
theviewpoint isslightly aligned to theright. On thefar right and left, the
cornersof two buildingsact rather likethewingsof astage. Theview of
ashipsmast through theempty spacein thecentreisalmost abstract. No
pavement or cobbled stoneshavebeen painted on theground, and there
areno peopleto beseen. In itspuregeometry, thispaintingtakeson
somethingof theabstract.
In another version of thispaintingHammershi did not includetheships
mast. Why do you think heincluded it in thisversion?
Would you say Hammershi isdeliberately makingthepainting
bare-looking?If so, why?
rnt uca
OntheirthirdtriptoLondonins,o,oo, VilhelmandIdafoundlodgings
onthesecondoorof o, GreatRussell Street. TheatfacedtheBritish
MuseumandHammershi madetwopaintingsof theview(cats,o and,s).
C at. ,o In thispaintingweseetheview down thesideof theBritish
Museum, alongMontagueStreet. Theperspectiveisonly slightly raised,
asthough theartist werestandingwith hiseasel in theroad. Theroad,
however, isdeserted; thereisno traceof humanity. Our gazeisalso barred
in several ways. Our eyefollowsthehigh railings, apsychological barrier,
fromtheleft to thecentre, whereweexpect somekind of focal point. The
centreis, in fact, even vaguer than theedges, and theblank facadesof the
houseson theright do not giveusabetter understandingof thescene.
By focusingour attention on thebarestreet runningalongsidethe
British Museum, Hammershi isupsettingour preconceptionsof what
aproper subject of apaintingshould be. In theforeground of thepainting
heusesthetechniqueof scumbling, applyingthin pigment with adry
brush so that theground on thecanvasshowsthrough. Thistechnique
makestheforeground indistinct, creatingdistancebetween theviewer
and thesubject. Thefragility of thetreesand buildings, which look as
though they might just fadeaway, givesthepaintingan ephemeral beauty.
Thepaintingisat oncemysterious, hauntingand uncanny, evoking
sensationsshared by many of hisother architectural paintings, such as
AnOldWarehouse, Christianshavn(s,o,; cat. oz).
What eect doesthetreecoveringthecentreof thepaintinghaveon
thecomposition?
s
T oday I h ave fou n d
a place I like an d wh ere
I believe I can get
som eth in g don e.
Hammershi on o, Great
Russell Street, s,o,
C at. ,o
Street inLondon, s,oo
Oil oncanvas
,s., o,., cm
NyCarlsbergGlyptotek, Copenhagen
PhotoNyCarlsbergGlyptotek/ Ole
Haupt
T h is u n can ny is in reality
n oth in g n ew or alien , bu t
som eth in g wh ich is
fam iliar an d old-
establish ed in th e m in d
an d wh ich h as becom e
alien ated from it on ly
th rou gh th e process of
repression [th e
u n can ny is]som eth in g
wh ich ou gh t to h ave
rem ain ed h idden bu t h as
com e to ligh t.
SigmundFreud,
TheUncanny, s,s,
C at. z, Hammershi painted over oo interiorsof theat in Strandgade,o.
Beforemovingin, thecouplehad theeighteenth-century wall panelling
and mouldings, aswell asthedoorsand window frames, painted white.
They also had therest of thewallsand ceilingspainted grey and the
oorboardsstained dark brown. Wecan seethat fromthestart
Hammershi had avery particular purposein mind for theserooms,
which weremorelikeagallery or stageset than ahome. Heused six
roomsin thelargeat to paint in, alteringthesettingsby openingor
closingdoorsand rearrangingfurniture. In thispaintingwecan seethe
roomwhich healso used, amongothers, for Interior, Strandgade (s,os;
cat. ,s). Consequently, when welook at hisinteriorsof Strandgade,o
thelayout of theat can seemconfusing.
Interiorsshowingwomen performingdomestic activitieswere
fashionableat thetime, with many of Hammershiscontemporaries
paintingthem, includingAnnaAncher (ss,,s,,,) and Viggo Johansen
(ss,ss,,,). They typied domesticity, makingtheviewer feel secure.
Therewasalso atradition of domestic interiorsin art of theDutch and
Danish Golden Ages, aswell asin thesubject matter of artistssuch as
Jean-Baptiste-Simon Chardin (so,,s,,,), whosework Hammershi
would haveseen duringhistimespent in theLouvrein Paris. Yet
Hammershi turnsthetraditional domestic sceneon itshead. In his
paintings, closed doorsand back-turned guresserveasbarriers(rather
liketherailingsand buildingfacadesin hispaintingof theBritish Museum
[cat. ,o]). In themanner of atraditional scene, atableisincluded, but it
hasnothingon it and thereareno chairsaround it. A woman in an apron
isthere, which indicatesdomesticity, but her back isturned to usso we
cannot seewhat sheisdoing. Thedoorsareclosed, preventingusfrom
seeingaway out. Theclaustrophobiaisincreased by thedarknessof the
oor, which doesnot correspond with thelight shiningon thedoorsor
onthewomansneck.
In paintingssuch asSunbeamsor Sunshine. Dust MotesDancinginthe
Sunbeams(s,oo; cat. zs) or Interior Lookingout ontheExterior, Strandgade
(s,o,; cat. ,s), asenseof confusion isheightened by thefact that wesee
layer upon layer of windows. Windowsoften function in genrepaintings
asalink between thedomestic interior and theoutsideworld, but here
they areabstracted in such away that theexterior can never bereached.
How do you think thelight areasin thepaintingrelateto each other?
Thispaintingoriginally did not haveagurein it and thetablewasmuch
larger. Why do you think Hammershi introduced thegureto the
composition?
Doesthispaintingremind you of any of your own feelings?If so, what?
s, so
C at. z,
Interior, ss,,
Oil oncanvas
o., ,s.s cm
Tate. Presentedinmemoryof Leonard
BorwickbyhisfriendthroughtheNational
Art CollectionsFund, s,zo
PhotoTate, Londonzoo,
s,
tton rnt irtrior
Aswell asthemany interiorsand architectural paintingsthat
Hammershi made, hewasalso interested in depictinglandscapes,
manyof which hepainted whileon hissummer holidays. Again, asin
theinteriors, Hammershi separatestheviewer fromthesubject by
creatingahorizontal planeand an empty foreground (see, for instance,
Landscape. Gentofte[s,oo; cat. ,]). However, in somelandscapesthere
doesseemto beareaction against an overt naturalismor realism,
whichcould beseen to evokeSymbolist ideas.
C at. ,| Whilethispaintingof two treesdoesappear realistic in many
ways, theunusual composition and croppingof thepicturegivesthe
treesaheightened senseof meaning. Appearingmorelikeadreamscape
than aplacein reality, it could beargued that Hammershislandscape
paintingsand many of hisother worksarenot realistic at all, but arein
fact symbolic, or even metaphysical. Hammershisart bearssome
resemblanceto theworksof symbolist, metaphysical and surrealist
painterssuch asArnold Bcklin (ssz,s,os; g. z), Giorgio deChirico
(sssss,,s), Max Ernst (ss,ss,,o) and RenMagritte(ss,ss,o,),
particularly HammershisLandscapefromRefsns(s,oo) and Landscape:
Viewof Lejre(s,o,).
In thispaintingtheviewpoint islow; consequently, wefeel asif weare
lookingup at thetrees. Why do you think Hammershi chosethis
unusual viewpoint?
Do you think thetreessymbolisesomething?If so, what do you think that
is?If not, why not?
turasrntia an rnt ontr worin
In ssso, in areview of thespringexhibition at Charlottenborg, Karl
Madsen proclaimed Hammershi to beamajor proponent of what he
called neurasthenic painting. Neurasthenia wasdiagnosed in sso, by
theAmerican neurologist, GeorgeMiller Beard (ss,,sss,). Symptoms
included fatigue, anxiety, impotenceand depression. Many believed this
new disease to betheresult of thestressesof modern life; aconsequence
of increased industrialisation and urbanisation.
C at. ,o In comparison with theearlier portraitsof Ida(such ascat. sz),
hereweseeher grown older and morecareworn. Shehad undergone
surgery thepreviousyear, and thispaintingseemsto reect someof the
ss
I n th is art, scen es from
n atu re, h u m an activities,
an d all oth er real world
ph en om en a will n ot be
described for th eir own
sake; h ere, th ey are
perceptible su rfaces
created to represen t th eir
esoteric an ities with th e
prim ordial I deals.
Jean Moras,
TheSymbolist Manifesto,
ssso
C at. ,|
YoungOakTrees, s,o,
Oil oncanvas
,,., ,, cm
Privatecollection
PhotoRoyFox
Fig. z
ARNOLD BCKLIN
TheIsleof theDead, ssso
Oil oncanvas
sss s,, cm
Kunstmuseum, Basel, Switzerland
PhotoPeter Willi/ TheBridgemanArt
Library
Wh en O tto th en goes
to th e cou n try at th e
en d of th e m on th I am
rem ain in g beh in d alon e.
Vilh elm h as been so kin d
as to oer m e space with
th em ; bu t I do n ot th in k
I sh all accept as I wou ld
be in con stan t fear of
I da h avin g on e of
h er attacks.
Frederikkein aletter
toAnna, ss,,
stressesshehad recently felt. Shewasalso often proneto attacks,
possibly of anxiety, although thisisnot clear. Sheand Vilhelmalso had no
children, although it isnot known why.
Although thispaintingbearsastrongresemblanceto Hansens
Portrait of aLittleGirl (g. ,), thereisamarked dierencebetween the
condence, or perhapsnaivety, of EliseKbke, and theabstracted gazeof
Ida. Yet whileIdalooksweighed down, paradoxically shealso lookssturdy
and strong.
How hasHammershi created thisapparent conict in thisportrait?
UnlikeHansenssmooth and rened brushwork and bright colours, which
makeElisesfaceglow, Hammershisdark coloursand dry brushmarks
represent an older womansface.
Thedark green hueof Idasskin
also givestheimpression of her
beingunwell. Thecontradictory
senseof her strength probably
derivesfromtheway her body
llsthewidth of thepicture. In
aslightly earlier version of this
painting, Hammershi had
actually painted alargedark
framearound thecomposition,
showinghow important the
framingdevicewasfor him.
Fromthelatenineteenth
century anew typeof woman
wasbeginningto emerge:
feminismwasbecomingan
important political subject. (Women gained thevotein Denmark in s,s,.)
In thispaintingIdadoesnot cook for anyone, clean for anyone, maketea
for anyone. Shesitsin her own space, not dened by any domestic duties,
stirringher drink for herself. Thispaintingwaskept by Idaafter Vilhelms
other property had been auctioned o followinghisdeath in s,so, which
indicatesthat it washer own property and wasimportant to her.
How do thecolour and toneof Idashandsand thecup, saucer and spoon
compare?
What sort of comment might Hammershi havebeen makingby
followingHansensportrait so closely?
If weseeIdaasappearingcareworn in thisportrait, how do you think
Vilhelmsrepresentationsof women alonein interiorsmight relateto this,
if at all?
zs
C at. ,o
Portrait of IdaHammershi,
s,o,
Oil oncanvas
so o cm
ARoSAarhusKunstmuseum, Aarhus
PhotoOleHeinPedersen
Fig. ,
CONSTANTIN HANSEN
Portrait of aLittleGirl,
EliseKbke, withaCupin
Front of Her, ss,o
Oil oncanvas
,, ,,., cm
StatensMuseumfor Kunst, Copenhagen
PhotoCopenhagen, StatensMuseumfor
Kunst/ HansPetersen
zo
natrsnois itoac
Hammershismania for continuously paintingsubjectsthat some
regarded aspointlessexercisesshowsthat hiswork wasunusual at the
time. When looked at in comparison with artistssuch asGeorgesSeurat
(ss,,ss,s), Edward Hopper (ssszs,o,), or even theSurrealists,
Hammershispaintingsseemmodern. They also bear somerelation
tophotography and lm, and wereagreat inuenceon lm-makers
suchastheDanish lmdirector Carl Theodor Dreyer (sss,s,os).
If Hammershi had not had such avid collectorsand promoters, such
asthedentist Alfred Bramsen, who also becamehisbiographer, hemight
not havebeen ableto beso prolic. Bramsen wrotein hisposthumous
biography of s,ss on Hammershisreception in Denmark:
T h e D an ish P aris com m ittee s beh aviou r becam e th e occasion for m y
person ally takin g th e pain ter s represen tation abroad in h an d in th e fu tu re;
bu t n eith er in th at m an n er did it always com e o with ou t resistan ce, as
a con sequ en ce of n arrow-m in dedn ess an d an im osity at h om e.
z,
I h ave always th ou gh t
th ere was su ch beau ty
abou t a room like th at,
even th ou gh th ere
weren t any people in it,
perh aps precisely wh en
th ere weren t any.
Hammershi on painting
empty rooms, s,o,
C at. ||
WhiteDoorsor OpenDoors
(Strandgade), s,o,
Oil oncanvas
,z oo cm
TheDavidCollection, Copenhagen, B,o,
PhotoPernilleKlemp
C at. || Hammershi painted hisrst empty roomin ssss at Karl
Madsenshouse(cat. ,). Empty roomswerepainted by other artistsof
theDanish Golden Age, but only asstudiesto which they could add
guresat alater date. To paint asmany empty, or almost empty,
interiorsasHammershi did wasconsidered highly irregular by his
contemporaries. Asacritic wroteof thispaintingwhen it wasexhibited
at theGuildhall inLondon in s,o,:
H am m ersh oi is an artist of larger am bition s, with wh om th e passion for
spacin g am ou n ts alm ost to a m an ia. A con siderable portion of h is exh ibits
sh ou ld be term ed stu dies or exercises in spacin g rath er th an pictu res, yet th ey
are n ot always qu ite su ccessfu l even as stu dies. Q u iet an d reticen ce are rare
an d deligh tfu l qu alities in art, bu t th ey pall wh en th ey are too open ly
advertised, an d H am m ersh oi advertises th em con sisten tly E ven th e
ch arm in g OpenDoorsseem s on ly an exceedin gly clever an d origin al
sym ph ony in wh ite an d lacks th e sign ican ce it m igh t possess were it an
isolated experim en t by som e artist wh o was n ot always con ten t to work so.
Thecritic heredrawsacomparison with Whistlersseriesof paintings
entitled SymphonyinWhite. However, whileWhistlerspaintingsincluded
gures, Hammershissubject matter istheroomsand doorsthemselves.
Photosof Strandgade,o show that Vilhelmand Idahad plenty of
furniture, pictureson thewallsand other objects. Likepropsin astageset,
however, Hammershi removed or rearranged theseobjectsto createhis
compositions.
With theopen doorsand window in thebackground, thispainting
bearsstrongcomparison with worksby Dutch Golden Ageartistssuch
asSamuel van Hoogstraten (sozosos,) and Emanuel deWitte(sos,so,z).
In HoogstratensTheSlippers(c. so,oz) weseethrough two open doors
and light iscast acrosstheoor. Whilein DeWittesInterior withaLady
PlayingtheVirginal (c. soo,,o) wecan seethrough aseriesof open doors
with light cast intermittently on theoor to awindow in thebackground.
In Hammershispainting, however, everythingbut thedoorshas
been removed; therearefar fewer objectsthan therearein Hoogstratens
and DeWittesworks. Thedoorsareopen, but they do not reveal
anything. Weseethrough an open door to awindow beyond, but another
door blocksour view so all wecan seeisastrip of light. Thedoors
themselvesareilluminated and theentirepictureplaneisrendered in
consistent detail, so no oneareahasmoreimportancethan another.
Thecritic in thequoteabovefelt that Hammershisworksweretoo
repetitive. Why do you think Hammershi choseto paint so many
picturesof Strandgade,o?
In catsz,, ,s and oo wecan seethesameviewpoint through theopen
door, but in thesepaintingstherearefemaleguresin thecomposition.
Why do you think Hammershi did not haveany guresin this
composition and what eect doesthishave?
zz
cociusio
Hammershi hasoften been seen asan anti-modern gure. In contrast to
thebright coloursof artistslikeHenri Matisse(sso,s,,) who wasonly
afew yearsyounger than Hammershi, but who outlived himby almost
forty years Hammershistonal paintingmight appear painstakingly
laboured and old-fashioned. Modernist artistswerefamousfor breaking
with tradition. Hammershi, on theother hand, created adialogue
between hiswork and thesetraditions.
Even now, however, Hammershi isdicult to place. Perhapsa
Symbolist, amodernist, an existentialist, or just aloner, Hammershi
produced work that continuesto provoketheviewer and to present us
with an interpretation of modern lifethat becomesincreasingly relevant
to our ever-changingworld.
titiioorarn
Dreamsof aSummer Night: ScandinavianPaintingat theTurnof theCentury,
exh. cat., Hayward Gallery, London, s,so.
OlaBillgren and Paul Osipow, Hammershi, trans. by W. Glyn Jones,
Hellerup, Denmark, s,,,.
Poul Vad, VilhelmHammershi andDanishArt at theTurnof theCentury,
trans. by Kenneth Tindall, New Haven and London, s,,z.
VilhelmHammershi: ThePoetryof Silence, exh. cat., Royal Academy of
Arts, London, zoos.
z
C at. ,o
Portrait of IdaHammershi
(detail), s,o,
ARoSAarhusKunstmuseum, Aarhus
PhotoOleHeinPedersen