Self-Portrait at Spurveskjul
This is one of a group of self-portraits that Hammershøi painted in 1911 while staying at Spurveskjul (Sparrow’s Hideaway), his rented summer home near Copenhagen. By showing his left hand raised as if painting, the right-handed artist makes plain that he created his self-portrait by observing his reflection in a mirror. Behind him are a sunlit door and window, motifs that defined Hammershøi’s celebrated interior scenes. The reworked contours of the figure and the mauve underpaint visible in the face attest to the experimental spirit and bold handling that he cultivated in his late self-portraits.
Artwork Details
- Title: Self-Portrait at Spurveskjul
- Artist: Vilhelm Hammershøi (Danish, Copenhagen 1864–1916 Copenhagen)
- Date: 1911
- Medium: Oil on canvas
- Dimensions: 35 1/2 × 39 3/8 in. (90 × 100 cm)
- Classification: Paintings
- Credit Line: Gift of Charles Hack and the Hearn Family Trust, in honor of Keith Christiansen, and in celebration of the Museum's 150th Anniversary, 2020
- Object Number: 2020.287
- Curatorial Department: European Paintings
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