About the original:

Vilhelm Hammershøi's paintings are full of atmosphere. Both his exteriors and interiors are enveloped in a dreamlike and sometimes melancholic atmosphere. His preferred subjects were beautiful, sparsely furnished rooms, often rendered in subdued lighting. A female figure is also present in several of the interiors. She is often completely or partially turned away from the viewer, sometimes sewing, sometimes reading, sometimes without any particular activity. In Hammershøi's paintings, the use of color is limited, denominations in gray or dark green are typical. This choice of colors in combination with the painting technique emphasizes the contained and meditative character of the motifs. He executed the interior motifs in his own home, and often it was his wife who stood as a model.

The painting Myntsamleren differs from the typical Hammershøi interiors both in that it is a male model and in that the picture reproduces an evening scene. The window glass in the background of the picture is completely darkened. The room is lit only by two candles placed on the table next to the coin collector, who sits studying one of his collectibles.

Vilhelm Hammershøi arrived at his distinctive painting style and circle of motifs early on. His greatest role model was the American-English painter James McNeill Whistler. Hammershøi achieved recognition both nationally and internationally during his lifetime, but after his death in 1916 he was to some extent "forgotten". The pictures' popularity has increased significantly since the 1980s, and today he is one of Scandinavia's most internationally known artists from this period.

Text: Vibeke Waallann Hansen

Date: (1904)

Other titles: The Coin Collector (ENG)

Designation:

Painting

Material and technique: Oil on canvas

Technique: Oil

Material: Canvas

Dimensions: H 89 cm x W 70 cm x D 6.8 cm

Subject: Visual arts

Classification: 532 - Visual arts

Type of motif: Interior

Photo: Hansteen, Anne