Hammershi has painted the view from his apartment at Christianshavn. The view is, however, severely limited due to fog, & thus it becomes the crushing emptiness that appears as the central motif of the image. Vilhelm Hammershi circled all his life around a few motives - portraits of the closest family & friends, interior images from his home, monumental buildings in Copenhagen & London, as well as Zealand landscapes. The same motives go on & over again. There is no action in the pictures, all of which are characterized by one particular basic attitude: behind the outer calm & motionlessness you feel an indefinite, lurking & dangerous element. His color scale is severely limited & dominated entirely by a wide variety of grayscale. Here is a motif that was almost outside Hammershi's windows. From his home in Strandgade at Christianshavn in Copenhagen he could look across the street to the trading company Asiatisk Kompagni's buildings: a late-barred palace & an associated warehouse built around a gate. It was, however, from an adjacent street, Sankt Anngade, he found the motif for several paintings: the two buildings were considered frontally & with the void between them as the center of the image. Through the gateway he could look across the harbor towards the actual Copenhagen. But on the paintings, the view is severely limited due to fog - which is very rare in reality. This makes the crushing emptiness the key motif in the image. in this painting, which is incomplete & exterminated, there are hints of the master, which may - & possibly not - be clearly drawn. On another painting, which he performed in 1902 (privately owned), the masts are seen on a single ship, while in a third from 1907 (private) nothing looks between the houses beyond the emptiness. in carrying out this version of the motif, he has relied on a preserved photograph showing the two buildings in exactly the same point of view - hence the slightly skewed perspective lines in the architecture. in the other two paintings, the angle of view is shifted slightly, suggesting that they can both be performed after this picture, perhaps with the support of another photograph. The Buildings of the Asiatic Company makes an excellent gift for anyone passionate about: Hammershoi Print, Michael Palin, Danish art... ???? Important For this particular print I recommend you select a size no smaller than 30x40cm (12x16 Inches). Smaller print sizes will not yield optimal results. Fine details, as shown in the photographs on this page, will only be legible at 30x40cm (12x16 Inches) or larger. This is a museum quality fine art print; the highest quality possible. Note that should you select a framed print it will be delivered with a perspex glaze. ???? More Information It is vital you take a moment to read my Shop FAQ which is displayed at the bottom of this page. Read this essential section before purchasing this handmade, custom-made print. ???? 15% Off EtsyCoupon Sign up for my