One of Denmark’s most celebrated painters, Vilhelm Hammershøi (1864-1916) quietly and resolutely painted close acquaintances, landscapes, and subdued interiors. Influenced strongly by 17th-century Dutch genre painting, Hammershøi is sometimes called “the Vermeer of the North.” His work, while recalling in atmosphere the classics of Western art, evinces a nostalgia peculiar to modern urban dwellers.
Recent years have seen Hammershøi’s international popularity grow, with major Western art museums acquiring his paintings in succession. In Japan, as well, a first Hammershøi exhibition in 2008 drew large crowds of admiring viewers despite his relative obscurity in this country.
Now, just over ten years later, Vilhelm Hammershøi’s finest works will return along with masterpieces of 19th century Danish art in their first comprehensive exhibition in Japan.