On Tuesday night, a landscape painting by the Danish artist Vilhelm Hammershøi was sold for 5.3 million Danish kroner at an auction in London. Hammershøi, who has seen a growing interest in the art market in recent years, set another remarkable price for one of his works. It was his painting “Landscape, view from Lejre” that was sold for 660,000 British pounds, equivalent to 5.3 million Danish kroner, at Sotheby’s in London.
Prior to the auction, the painting was estimated to be between 5.3 and 7 million Danish kroner, so even though the sales price did not exceed the estimate, it still cements Hammershøi’s status as a sought-after artist. The most expensive landscape painting by Hammershøi to date is still “Landscape. Summer. Ryet,” which was sold for 2.3 million pounds, around 20 million Danish kroner, in March 2024.
Although “Landscape, view from Lejre” did not break this record, it is still a significant sale. The previous record for a Hammershøi painting belongs to the work “Interior. Music Room, Strandgade 30,” which was sold for nearly 63 million Danish kroner in May last year. However, this painting differs by being an interior picture and not a landscape painting.
Claude Piening, head of European paintings at Sotheby’s in London, told Børsen on Monday that there is currently a special focus on Hammershøi. “Right now, we have what we in the industry call a Hammershøi moment, where museums and collectors around the world show great interest in him,” he said. At that time, he did not want to predict what the hammer price would end up being, but noted that it was the highest valued landscape painting by Hammershøi to date.
Vilhelm Hammershøi lived from 1864 to 1916 and is particularly known for his 140 interior paintings, around 60 of which originate from his and his wife Ida’s apartment in Strandgade 30 in Copenhagen. He achieved international fame for his simple and recognizable motifs, often with scenes from indoor environments like living rooms, windows, and doors, and often with a woman seen from behind. He is regarded as one of Denmark’s most prominent artists from the late 19th and early 20th centuries.