“Vilhelm Hammershøi: The Eye That Listens” at Kunsthaus Zürich

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Vilhelm Hammershøi is most celebrated for his evocative interiors imbued with quiet mystery and psychological depth. The Kunsthaus Zürich presents the first comprehensive Swiss retrospective dedicated to the Danish master, who was critically admired during his lifetime by figures such as Rainer Maria Rilke and Pierre-Auguste Renoir, before falling into relative obscurity following his death in 1916. Characterized by subtle light, muted tones and an atmosphere of profound stillness, his iconic interiors are shown alongside the artist’s portraits, as well as his lesser-known landscapes and cityscapes. Themes include Hammershøi’s lifelong interest in music — reflected in the exhibition’s subtitle “The Eye that Listens” — and the role his wife, Ida, often depicted from behind, played in his creative process. The exhibition further places his oeuvre in dialogue with works by artists ranging from Jacobus Vrel and Adolph Menzel to the contemporary painter Michael Borremans, offering fresh perspectives on Hammershøi’s enduring artistic legacy.

^{Vilhelm Hammershøi, “Interior with the Artist‘s Wife, Seen from Behind,” 1901. Private collection}