Vilhelm Hammershøi was born in 1864 in Copenhagen. He was given private instruction in drawing from 1872 to 1878, and then studied from 1879 to 1884 at Copenhagen’s art academy. In 1883 he also attended courses at the School of Liberal Studies. At this time he produced his first paintings. He was first represented in the Charlottenborg Spring Exhibition in 1885. He then spent some time in Berlin and Dresden, and a year later travelled to Belgium and Holland. In 1889 Hammershøi was represented at the Paris World’s Fair. He travelled to Italy in 1893 and again in 1902. He was in London for an extended period in 1897, and other stays there followed. He had his first solo exhibition at Copenhagen’s Art Association in 1900. Emil Nolde visited Hammershøi. He exhibited at the 5th Venice Biennale in 1903, and a year later at the Ninth Art Exhibition of the Berlin Secession. In 1909 Hammershøi was forced to move from Strandgade 30, whose interiors he had captured in any number of works. He moved successively to Kvæsthusgade 6, Bredgade 25 and Strandgade 25. In 1912 he was invited to paint a self-portrait for the Uffizi in Florence. He died in Copenhagen in 1916.
