Hammershøi The Eye that Listens

Vilhelm Hammershoi, Self-Portrait. The Cottage Spurveskjul at Sorgenfri, North of Copenhagen, 1911, Statens Museum for Kunst, Copenhagen.

Kunsthaus Zürich presents the first retrospective in Switzerland devoted to the Danish artist Vilhelm Hammershøi (1864-1916). His paintings focus on perception, atmosphere and the subtle tensions between space and objects. They are defined by subtle gradations of muted colours. Minimal variations in recurring motifs sharpen the viewer’s gaze and place perception itself at the centre.

In dialogue with international movements of his time, Hammershøi developed a distinctive visual language. His affinity with painters such as James McNeill Whistler is evident in his reduced compositions and focus on formal aspects. Another dimension emerges through his relationship to music: instruments such as the cello or piano appear in his paintings and engage our sense of hearing. For his works are not truly “silent” – rather, they convey a tense calm, like the moment just before a concert begins. Alongside the iconic interiors, the exhibition also presents portraits, cityscapes and landscapes, placing his work within a broader art-historical context.

The exhibition has been organised by the Kunsthaus Zürich in cooperation with the Museo Nacional Thyssen-Bornemisza in Madrid.