“Interior with Young Woman Seen from the Back” is an oil-on-canvas painting from circa 1903 by Danish artist Vilhelm Hammershøi. This work exemplifies Hammershøi’s signature style, featuring a muted grey-blue palette, an uncluttered composition, and a meticulous attention to the play of light.
Born in 1864 in Copenhagen, Denmark, Hammershøi was the son of a prosperous merchant, Christian Hammershøi, and his wife, Frederikke. He began studying drawing at the age of eight with Niels Christian Kierkegaard and Holger Grønvold, and later studied painting with Vilhelm Kyhn. Hammershøi continued his education at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts, learning from Frederik Vermehren and others. From 1883 to 1885, he studied under Peder Severin Krøyer at the Independent Study Schools. Hammershøi made his debut at the Charlottenborg Spring Exhibition in 1885 with “Portrait of a Young Girl.”
