A solitary woman in a sparsely furnished room is a recurring theme in Hammershøi’s pictures. The light comes from the side, and the figure often has her back to the viewer. Clear models for these interiors can be found in 17th-century Holland or early 19th- century Denmark. But Hammershøi’s silent, empty rooms also have an
intense, suggestive mood all their own. Most of his interior scenes were painted in his home in Copenhagen, but this one was executed in London. The model is the artist’s wife Ida.