Hammershøi in Sense & Sensibility

I always feel like period film is the opium of the blogosphere. Whether it's Bright Star or the latest Jane Eyre, the blogworld goes crazy. I can't say I'm immune to this. These movies are beautiful. But, it upsets me when people replace judging a book or its author with watching a movie and basing all their conclusions on that. And people who say they love or hate Jane Austen et al having only seen movies and mini-series... oh well, big sigh...

On the weekend, I watched Sense & Sensibility (again, it's always on!) This time I was struck by some beautifully painterly moments in the movie. In particular, there were lots of stills that reminded me of Hammershøi paintings. This impression hit me so strongly, I became convinced that Hammershøi must have been on the inspiration board for the movie. Whether it's true or not, I like that idea a lot. Here are some stills alongside some Hammershøi paintings so you can see for yourself!


Image credits: Sense & Sensibility stills (1995), directed by Ang Lee, Columbia Pictures
Hammershøi paintings: 1. Dust Motes Dancing in Sunlight (1900) via / 2. The Tall Windows (1913) via / 3. Interior, Strandgade 30 (1901) via

P.S. If you're a Hammershøi fan, you might also enjoy this "Because of Hammershøi" exhibition of female portraits.