I love Hammershoi's work and I'm glad that Michael Palin has brought it to a larger public. For me, painting is a kind of visual love. I think Hammershoi loved Ida and was always reaching out to her, even when her back was turned, maybe especially when her back was turned.
Long a Hammershoi fan, it was a joy for me to discover this revealing and intriguing exploration of his life and work. Michael Palin is sensitive, engaging and personable, and researcher Lotte Kjeldsen is captivating and hauntingly charming. Thank you for a magical and revelatory presentation.
Absolutely 100% agree. Stumbled upon, the art and artist, production values, cinematography, music and of course Michael. I would have laid heavy odds against me spending an evening watching a documentary about an obscure Danish artist I had never heard of....and even more against thoroughly enjoying it.
+teppolundgren --Let's be Frank about this, on second thought you be Frank... I like being who I am. You're not only a shell fish guy, I think you're only in it for the money. PS-- I always liked Palin, he was great on Monty Python's TV shows & great in all their movies.
I am a friend and admirer of Hammershoi's works. His paintings are ethereal and mystical Works that dont need bright colours to express his need to be subtle and interior There are certain mentalities who are like that and he paints for us. I adore his works
I am interested to see the whole catalogue of Hammershoi's output. As a "friend and admirer", can you direct me to an on-line site to get a more comprehensive view than this documentary offers ? Any help you can provide would be most appreciated. Thank you. -- Peter Crossley, Toronto
Beautifully done documentary Michael...the first i have heard of this artist.. absolutely amazing...did anyone else catch their breath when the edge of the folded painting was shown displaying the lady? Wonderful.
There seems a connection between so many works that evoke a sense of stillness. Hopper, A Wyeth, Japanese architecture, Hammershoi, Frank Lloyd Wright. Silence is the connection.
It was after a repeat of this programme last week on TV (BBC4 May 2024) that I ordered a book on Hammershoi as I was so enamoured by his work. Thank you, Michael, for introducing me to this wonderful painter.
His paintings are amazing and I think they a beautiful stillness about them with the figure with her back to us. I think the intention is for us to take in and absorb a moment in time that has been caught in a painting otherwise would’ve been lost to time. The paintings are beautiful, mysterious, showing us the eternal rhythm of time .
I think Hammerhøi's painting tell us who he was. He was looking for those quiet moments in everyday life, that is happiness for the introverted. Things doesn't have to be grand to be beautiful. As for Ida having her back turned. - There is something special in looking at the one you love, waiting for her to turn around and (hopefully) smile at you.
@@siggimund I forgot all about these comments and actually teared up when your alert reminded me... "I see your eyes in my eyes through your eyes still water" 👍💜✌️
@@petemavus2948 Who's the poet behind that great quote? 👍💙 Ps! Still waters run deep (Just learned about that english proverb, but it seems kind of fitting to Hammerhøi's character)🙂
Laurie Cass I fact I have been a Hammershöi admirer for years. Rather than peace, I feel more tense and seeking answers. Michael Palin summarized too well a feeling of inadequacy that we both share.
It's not about the people in Hammershoi's work, it's about angles and geometric shapes and how the light is interwoven into the patterns. That is what drew his attention. That is evident in all his work.
It's all interiors, isn't it? Me, inside my head, eyes gazing out, sitting in my kitchen looking into my computer screen at a video of a room somewhere in Copenhagen, seeing a painting of a portion of a corner with a window and wall. I feel as if I could look through that window and, if I could focus enough, see myself in my kitchen.
This is a documentary on the edge of intriguing. I'm sure they never heard of each other, but, except for the very subdued colors, Hammershoi seems to have something in common with the American Edward Hopper: the simplification of figures and features, the use of architectural elements as the basis of composition, and the isolated figures that give a feeling of loneliness, even alienation.
I don't know much about art, but I know what I like... and I like Hopper's paintings very much. I also like, in particular, two Nordic painters: Edward Munch and a probably unknown painter called Samuel Mikines, but quite well known in the Faroe Islands where he was from - very gloomy paintings, many of which are set around funerals or proceedings related to funerals.
Yes. Great observation. I see some of Hammershoi in Andrew Wyeth's work, as well. The subdued color scheme, architectural studies, and single, often lonely appearing figures.
Juan Vélez I agree. I also love Hopper. Hammershoi, was someone I stumbled upon, but could never forget--partly I feel, because the shared inner atmosphere of an introvert is so recognizeable amongst introverts. That silence and stillness and haunting lonely feeling at times; its a breath of air to know that many of the great minds experienced the same. It is inspiring.
That was my first reaction...Hopper used light streaming through windows which creates a strange (in his case) sense of depth/space. I see them both as painters of light.
The at times diffuse, others stark, moments of perception and recognition of essence. An eloquent silence glimpsed from the corner of ones innermost mind's eye. Having heard, we too are witness.
I recall a friend saying, after splitting with his girlfriend of 6 years, that when he first saw her he fell in love with the back of her head. To me that's what these pictures represent, a pure and lasting love. He doesn't need to see her face to portray her as loved, it shines as clear as his depiction of the light around her. Stunning.
Hammershoi painted a series of paintings of the same location (search and you will find). The light from back.... is from a glass window in a balcony with a door leading to it. In this painting it is evident how the door is hung (opens away from incoming light). The table will partially obstruct entry from either doors.... Freud at work.... may be. Social distancing.... may be. We love you Mr Palin, in all of your avatars.
I am amazed with You Mr. Pailin! What an extraordinary presentation of such a humble and great artist. Wondering how many like Hamershoi patiently waiting to be discovered...
34:22 when he said "pining" my mind immediatly went to "the fjords?". oh my i guess i've been watching too many sketches. lovely documentary, though, i didn't know about hammershoi but now i'm fascinated!
Hammershoi's work is truly mesmerizing. So glad this documentary is posted here, I've been a fan of Michael Palin for years and it's wonderful to watch him discover this amazing artist.
Michael, you did it again! What a delightful and very educational documentary. Hammershoi is right up my alley and I didn’t even know it! Great choice of music too. I’m all chilled and highbrow now - the ultimate combo!
I am surprised that Michael Palin does not mention the light, particularly in the interiors. It is not grey, at closer inspection, but a rich palette of greys or whites made luminescent with their complements and near complements. His closeness to Vermeer (whose walls are not just white either) is obvious, but Hammershoi unclutters them, ridding them of fabrics and objects, to allow the light flooding and dimming the spaces. He is also interested in the geometric arrangements of rectangles, walls, doors, windows, creating almost abstract compositions. This is also what he took from Whistler. Of course, being a Danish painter, he would not paint the sun-spun light of France like his Impressionist contemporaries, but the clear, crisp light you only find in the north.
Great atmospheric documentary with matching music. I am now an admirer of Hammershoi works. One thing puzzles me, though. I was in Copenhagen 20 years ago and in the main gallery I could look at one of his interior masterpieces the "Young man reading", showing a man with a book while he is leaning against the wall near the window. This painting was not included in this video, not even mentioned, I wonder why. Is it not on display in Copenhagen any more?
To think the same man sang a terrific Lumber Jack song...after trying to exchange a dead Norwegian Blue (beautiful plumage!) for a slug... Great documentary!
Understated beauty and grace when mixed with the silence is the feeling I get when I see those beautiful paintings. Do we really need to know more than what the artist has communicated through his paintings?
Hammershoi is one of my favorite artists and this documentary makes me know more about him. If you don't mind, I would like to ask your permission to share this video to the other website in China and I will attach to the source of this video. Thanks you very much.
Since this video is not my property, but the BBC has been kind enough to let it be seen, I suppose you are welcome to share it, as long as it is not commercial!
I often think how long the hours must have been for people like Hammershoi's wife, with no occupation other than to keep her house tidy. Not even the ability to watch a good documentary like this one. I hope she was an avid reader.
@pproust One could dream that some François Pinault, big patron of Koons' and Hirst's would start populating his large Venice venues with authentic art work.
What a sad sad person. I am not unfamiliar with difficult relations between couples and the complications of intimate life. Here are images that reflect the joy of life and fidelity to craft; but, show the intimate isolation in his heart with respect to his wife and her own internal sadnesses. A beautiful testament to his loving kindness, acceptance of what might have been.
Many people don’t understand that painting is more a scientific endeavor rather than something as ethereal as they think. The ethereal starts after the painting is finished, not before. And the artist never know how it will all go or how will it end. It’s all a process of observation.
He preferred to not show faces after his wonderful painting of his sister wasn't recognized by the academy. He preferred to show the mysterious beauty of an era that is long gone. He preferred to make us aware of the transcendent beauty of life, and of the transcendent beauty of light in scenes of everyday life. He preferred to make his talent known for the transcendent beauty of half-open doors. In his art, he preferred to hold on to a time frame between the leaving of the prodigal son and his return, leaving the doors half-open. He could return anytime.
Thank you for this tender picture of Hammershoi, who I've not come across before. It brings to mind the quiet interiors (albeit in full colour) of Vuillard, Bonnard and the French Intimists who were his contemporaries, so it seems his was the Danish expression of this tzeitgeist. The back of the neck is quite sensual, and a patch of flesh can be more erotic than an entire nude. The neck is also an erogenous zone. The paintings of Ida also show her caught in an interior mode, so both artist and subject occupy the realm of contemplation, which is known only to themselves and the painting is thus charged with this intimacy as well. I find the empty interiors work like architectural drawings and two-dimensional sculpture (if there is such a thing!). I've not seen interiors with such a strong presence before. The mouldings around windows and doors, and the light and stillness provide a spiritually aesthetic atmosphere. The half open doors introduce the idea of 'more' and of movement, and pique one's interest in what might be beyond, though there is also the sense that it will be more of the same - a tranquil, even monastic space. What a fantastic experience. Thank you Michael Palin.
Yes, she's beautiful. And isn't it shaming how well Europeans speak English! I can't imagine many English people speaking another language so fluently. But the Dutch, Germans and Scandinavians all seem to have English as a second language.
Whew! Lotte is a HOTTIE (frame 33:54) but in all seriousness Hammershoi was a genius of the highest level. I too am a professional artist like the painter in the video though no genius. It is my belief as a former art teacher that parents and schools should take art seriously in our government schools instead of turning out mindless drones for the state whose purposes are to keep the rich rich by pacifying the workers.
