Hammershøi painted White Doors in 1899, and ever since, it has been part of a private collection in the United States. The first time the painting came on the market was on 6 June 2017 in Sotheby’s auction of 19th-century European paintings. Thanks to generous donations from Aage og Johanne Louis-Hansens Fond, Augustinus Fonden and the New Carlsberg Foundation, Ordrupgaard Museum was able to purchase the painting and thus return it to Denmark. 

Ordrupgaard’s director, Anne-Birgitte Fonsmark, comments:

‘After many years abroad, Hammershøi’s White Doors is now finally returning to Denmark. We are delighted to be able to invite a Danish audience to see one more classic Hammershøi painting here at Ordrupgaard – in fact, a painting that has not been shown to the public for more than 30 years!’

About White Doors 
White Doors is one of the first works painted by Hammershøi in the flat at 30 Strandgade in Copenhagen. It was painted in the dining room, where the artist also created many of his later paintings. It is a fine example of the minimalist, muted style that would characterize Hammershøi’s work; the white doors, too, became a recurrent theme. Hammershøi’s works often contain a drive towards abstract modernism, which is also evident in White Doors. 

The painting has been part of a private collection in the United States. Here, the painting has been passed down for three generations. The work has only been on public display once before – in the first exhibition about Hammershøi outside Denmark, Hammershøi. Painter of Stillness and Light, organized in 1983 by Ordrupgaard in cooperation with The Phillips Collection in Washington, DC and Wildenstein in New York.

Ordrupgaard and Hammershøi
Ordrupgaard’s founder, insurance magnate Wilhelm Hansen, was one of the first to collect Hammershøi’s art and an early supporter of the artist. The museum has since continued Hansen’s dedication, protecting ‘the artist’s interests’ over the years by purchasing individual pieces for the collection and, not least, by staging exhibitions.

In an international context, Ordrupgaard has organized most of the major Hammershøi exhibitions in recent decades, including exhibitions at The Phillips Collection in Washington, DC; Wildenstein in New York; Musée d’Orsay in Paris; Guggenheim Museum in New York; and Centre de Cultura Contemporània de Barcelona. These exhibitions contributed to the artist’s international breakthrough.

White Doors is included in Ordrupgaard’s upcoming summer exhibition Masterpieces. From Degas to Hammershøi, which opens on 14 July 2017.