Ida Ilsted, later the Artist’s Wife 1890

This portrait of Ida Ilsted, who later became the artist's wife, was created by Vilhelm Hammershøi using oil on canvas. The muted palette, typical of Hammershøi, is achieved by carefully layering thin glazes of paint, a time-honored technique refined over centuries. The subtle textures and tones, particularly in the wall behind Ida, result from the artist's deliberate manipulation of the viscous medium. Oil paint allows for blending and reworking, and Hammershøi exploits this to create a sense of quiet contemplation. The texture of Ida’s clothing, the fabric of her dress and jacket, contrast with the smoothness of her skin. There is a lot of hidden labor in the making of this work: the growth of flax or cotton, the spinning of the fibres, the weaving of the cloth, the dying of the materials. The artist's engagement with these materials and processes reflects a broader social and cultural context, where the value of handmade objects was increasingly being questioned by the rise of industrial production. So, in looking at this painting, we can appreciate the slow, deliberate, and somewhat melancholy nature of its making.