Lot Essay
As the brother-in-law of Vilhem Hammershøi, Peter Ilsted had effectively married into an artistic family and, not surprisingly, their work shares similar stylistic and compositional features. The paintings, often introspective works with lone figures in an interior or outside in nature, convey an air of both reflection and contemplation. Unlike Hammershøi's subdued and more monotone palette, Ilsted was often more aggressive with his use of color mixing a vibrant spark of color with the cool and warmer shades.