Interior with the Artist's Easel

Hammershøi is best known for his many interiors. Here, he has painted a room from his Copenhagen home. There are no people in the painting, but the easel accentuates the artist’s own presence. Thus, the painting becomes a variation on the theme The Artist and his Subject, as the rooms of Hammershøi’s home served both as his favourite motif and as his studio. Even though he depicted the rooms many times, the paintings are always different; he would constantly vary the angle, the light, and try out new effects. A crucial aspect of all the paintings is the gentle light falling through the windows, creating a finely graded light on the walls. For the artist this provided the starting point for exploring an endless wealth of greys and whites.