Ellen
Dining Room at Liselund
Girl Sewing in an Italian Villa
Fisherman's Room
Expecting a Guest
Peter Vilhelm Ilsted, an artist of the Danish Nineteenth century school, is highly celebrated for both his interiors and genre scenes, although he did execute a fair number of landscapes as well. A student at the Academy of Kopenhagen for a number of years beginning in 1878, he focused much of his attention on the small details and intimacy of life at home, an aspect to his oeuvre that he developed from themes extremely popular at the time. The brother-in-law of famed artist Vilhelm Hammershoi, Ilsted surrounded himself with people from whom he hoped to learn a great deal. Indeed, he learned much from his famous in-law, for the two portrayed rather similar subjects, but utilized varying techniques. Watching other artists at work proved to be an extremely valuable tool for him, for it aided him in developing the exquisite style of his more mature body of work.
A rather accomplished artist in his own right, Ilsted was awarded a gold medal in 1885, an honorable mention in 1889 at Paris’ Exposition Universelle, followed by a bronze medal at the same event in 1900. In 1901, he was granted a stipend to visit both Italy and Paris. Traveling extensively as well through the Orient and West Europe, he was able to bring new ideas and techniques from around the world into his oeuvre. His highly collectible interiors have proved to be a lasting force in the art market, constantly demanding higher prices at auctions both in Europe and the United States. Further ensuring his wonderful skill at the fine art of painting, the critically acclaimed and very prestigious Musee d’Art Moderne in Paris acquired one of his interior scenes for which he was so well-known.