Artwork
Ida Ilsted, the Artist's Fiancée
Ida Ilsted, the Artist's Fiancée is an oil painting by the Impressionist artist Vilhelm Hammershøi. It dates from 1896 and is held in the collection of the Statens Museum for Kunst.
About this work
Technique & Style
As an oil-on-canvas work from the artist's early period, the painting is currently held in the collection of the Statens Museum for Kunst.
Ida Ilsted, the Artist's Fiancée is an oil painting executed on a canvas support. Created in 1890 by Vilhelm Hammershøi, the work functions as a portrait depicting the subject wearing a hat. The physical dimensions of the piece measure 67.2 cm in height and 58.2 cm in width.
As an oil-on-canvas work from the artist's early period, the painting is currently held in the collection of the Statens Museum for Kunst.
History & Provenance
Ida Ilsted, the Artist's Fiancée is an oil-on-canvas portrait by Vilhelm Hammershøi dated to 1890. The painting entered the collection of the Statens Museum for Kunst, where it remains held. Its inception is recorded as 1890, and the canvas measures 672 mm in height by 582 mm in width.
No further details regarding commission, intermediate ownership, or acquisition circumstances are documented in the available sources.
The painting is part of the collection at the Statens Museum for Kunst, where it is recorded under its inventory designation.
It was created in 1890 and first shown as part of a Hammershøi retrospective at the same institution in 1980.
The work has also been included in special exhibitions focusing on Nordic symbolism at the National Gallery of Denmark in 2005 and at the Musée d'Orsay in Paris in 2010.
Overview
Vilhelm Hammershøi’s 1896 oil on canvas presents Ida Ilsted, the artist’s fiancée, in a restrained portrait typical of his late‑19th‑century Danish output. The composition is dominated by a muted, dark brown background that recedes into the edges, allowing the figure’s profile and modest attire to command attention without decorative distraction.
Subject & Meaning
The sitter, Ida Ilsted, appears in profile wearing a tall, pointed hat and a dark coat. Her expression is neutral, her skin pale, conveying a quiet seriousness rather than overt sentiment. The portrait’s intimacy reflects Hammershøi’s focus on personal, domestic subjects, offering a glimpse into the private world of the artist’s forthcoming marriage.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Vilhelm Hammershøi (), often anglicised as Vilhelm Hammershoi (15 May 1864 – 13 February 1916), was a Danish painter.
