Svend Hammershøi

[2] Born in the Frederiksberg district of Copenhagen, he was the younger brother of the painter Vilhelm Hammershøi (1864–1916) who was a strong source of influence and inspiration.

[3] After a preparatory period at the Copenhagen Technical College, he studied painting at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts from 1890 to 1892, after which he spent a further five years at Kunstnernes Frie Studieskoler, the artists school operated by Kristian Zahrtmann.

[3] He also spent two lengthy periods with Herman A. Kähler in Næstved, in addition to assignments at the Kongelige Porcelainsfabrik and Bing & Grøndahl.

When Bindesbøll died in 1908, Hammershøi lost interest in ceramics and turned back to painting, concentrating on landscapes, initially sketches and watercolours, later oils.

In 1925, Hammershøi (together with Holger Kyster) was awarded a gold medal at the International Exposition of Modern Industrial and Decorative Arts in Paris for his silverware.