Simply titled ‘Interior’, this painting hangs in the National Gallery in London. By the Danish artist Vilhelm Hammershoi, it instantly intrigued me – who is the mysterious woman in black and what is she thinking?
Hammershoi is primarily known for his sensitive studies of interiors, often using his wife Ida as his muse and model (as here). Yet, as I explored his life and work further, I also found his wonderful paintings of London. He loved the English capital, staying for a time in lodgings opposite the British Museum. Here, from his window, he paints this evocative, if slightly curious, side view:
Michael Palin’s fascinating documentary ‘Michael Palin and the Mystery of Hammershoi’, is a great introduction to the enigma of the man and his art. As he rather comically puts it: ‘The magnificent facade of the British Museum […] seems a natural subject for a painter; but Hammershoi preferred the railings!’
Some of the most beautiful, unusual responses to those shadowy Victorian streets.
