Vilhelm Hammershøi (1864-1916) was a member of the radical Copenhagen middle class at the turn of last century. He maintained close ties to his family throughout his life, and especially his wife, Ida, his sister, Anna, and the family’s homes were his favorite motifs. The best-known are his many interiors from Strandgade 30, kept to a palette of gray, green, and russet. Hammershøi also painted landscapes and portraits, however, and the David Collection has exquisite examples of all these genres.
In Hammershøi in the David Collection, the Hammershøi expert Henrik Wivel writes empathetically about the artist’s life and art and provides an in-depth study of the 14 pieces in the David Collection in relation to his life and times. The book moreover presents the story of the founder of the David Collection, Christian Ludvig David (1878-1960), a lawyer by profession, and how he transformed the building at Kronprinssegade 30 into a unique art collection.
