Vilhelm Hammershoi: Maler des stillen Klangs / Painter of Silent Sound

Exhibition at the Kunsthaus, Zurich, 3 July – 25 October 2026

Vilhelm Hammershøi (1864–1916) is regarded as the most important figure in Danish interior painting. At the time of his death, he was a widely recognised painter; his admirers included Rainer Maria Rilke and Emil Nolde. Over the years, his work gradually fell into obscurity outside his native country, until it was ‘rediscovered’ across Europe a good century later. Even today, his monochrome interiors remain striking, revealing a subtle interplay of light and shadow at the heart of their meditative silence.

Offering a fresh perspective on Hammershøi’s work, this exhibition catalogue analyses, for the first time, the role of sound, music and silence in his paintings. An accomplished cellist, Hammershøi regularly incorporated musical instruments into his compositions, thereby creating serene spaces whose resonance extends beyond the visible. The essays reveal how painting, music and perception intertwine in his art, paving the way for a captivating new understanding of one of the most fascinating painters of his time.