Self-Portrait seen from behind 1898

Vilhelm Hammershøi created this self-portrait in pencil, sometime in the late 19th or early 20th century. This piece, typical of Hammershøi's oeuvre, gives us a glimpse into the artist's introspective world. Hammershøi was working in Denmark at a time of significant cultural and artistic shifts, with the rise of symbolism and early modernism challenging traditional artistic conventions. His choice to depict himself from behind, turned away from the viewer, is striking. What does it mean to turn your back to the world in this way? The muted tones and careful attention to light and shadow evoke a sense of quiet isolation. The drawing might be seen as a reflection on the artist's role in society, or perhaps a commentary on the growing sense of alienation in modern life. To fully understand Hammershøi's work, we might look to the art criticism of his time, the exhibition histories of his paintings, and the biographies of the artists around him. Art always emerges from a specific institutional and social context.