The Danish artist Peter Vilhelm Ilsted (1861-1933) drew what he knew best – quiet, peaceful scenes of everyday life in early 19th century interiors. Though a gifted painter he was an exceptional printmaker, particularly in the medium of mezzotints, a technique he studied in England and perfected with the addition of color applied with cloth “à la poupée”.

Peter Ilsted enjoyed a very successful career as a portrayer of the kind of domestic tranquility that provided a counterpoint to the encroachment of industrialization into Danish culture. His compositions went beyond mere decoration into enigmatic and compelling portrayals of mostly solitary female subjects. He depicted scenes from his own family life using settings from his home in Copenhagen as well as summer holidays at the country estate of Liselund, an 18th century manor house and gardens on the Danish island of Møn.

Together with his brother-in-law Vilhelm Hammershøi and the artist Carl Holsøe, Ilsted was a member of Den Frie Udstilling [Free Exhibitions], a progressive artists association founded in 1891. Later, they formed the core of the Copenhagen Interior School and while their styles were very similar, a closer look shows distinct differences. Holsøe focused on the actual room and it its furnishings, while Hammershøi’s works were more austere psychological studies of settings and situations. Ilsted tended to use more color and his subjects are more alive. It is interesting to note that Hammershøi and his wife were childless, while the Ilsteds had three daughters and a son.

Peter Ilsted’s legacy embodies not only his œuvre of beautiful and technically proficient paintings and prints but also as an important innovator in the mezzotint technique. His snapshots of domesticity are silent yet joyful, mysterious yet intimate, old fashioned but still very modern.