Eric Chaim Kline, Bookseller

Eric Chaim Kline, Bookseller

Vilhelm Hammershøi

Copenhagen: Winkel & Magnussens Kunstforlag, (1908). Limited edition. Loose leaf. Small Elephant Folio (15 5/8 x 11 3/4"). (1) 10 plates. Original tan paper-covered cardboard portfolio with small offset reproduction of artwork laid to cover and brown lettering at top and bottom. Of this edition, 30 numbered copies were printed on handmade Japanese paper and all prints are signed by the artist. Our copy is out of series with all lithographs signed in pencil by Hammershøi under the image.

List of lithographs: 1. Frederik V. Statue, Amalienborg. 2. The White Tablecloth. 3. Kronborg. 4. The Artist's Wife. 5. The Desk. 6. The Empire Sofa. 7. Bedroom Corner. 8. St. Petri Church Tower. 9. Kristianborg Castle. 10. A Reading Lady.

Hammershøi (1854–1916) worked in his native city of Copenhagen for the most part, painting poetic subdued portraits, architecture and interiors. His most celebrated paintings are his interiors, best described as muted in tone, refraining from using bright colors. Many of his paintings included his wife, often painted from behind. Hammershøi's exterior paintings are devoid of people whether they depicted architecture in Copenhagen or London or landscapes.

After having completed his studies at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Art in Copenhagen in 1885 Hammershøi submitted his first painting to the Academy's annual Charlottenborg Spring Exhibition, a portrait of his sister. The failure to receive a prize for this and another portrait of his sister in 1888 prompted the establishment of a modest Salon des Refusés in Denmark. Another rejection of a Hammershøi painting two years later triggered the outrage of rebellious young artists. This led to the establishment of the "Den Frie Udstilling (The Free Exhibition)" in 1891, with Hammershøi as a founding member, to become the major venue for Symbolist art in Denmark. This painting was praised anonymously by a critic for its "wealth of finely tuned grey and white notes that are a true feast for the eyes." The lithographs in our collection provide a vivid impression of the unique qualities of Hammershøi's paintings.

In 2012 the painting "Ida Reading a Letter" was auctioned by Sotheby's in London for nearly two million British Pounds, a record for Danish artwork. In 2018 the Getty Museum acquired the painting "Interior with an Easel, Bregade 25" for some five million Dollar.

Text in Danish. Portfolio front and back covers repaired along hinges, with Japan tissue, both heavily rubbed. Front with with stain along foredge with traces on inside. Additional medium ink stain on front cover. Lithographs in very good+ condition. Protected in modern mylar. g- to vg+. Item #50240

Price: $9,500.00

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