Svend Hammershøj

Denmark

(1873-1948)

Brother of the painter William Hammershøj, Svend Hammershøj is a ceramist, painter and designer. He began working as a designer at Kähler in 1893 and remained there until his death.

He joined Kähler as an apprentice in order to learn the craft of pottery. In 1904, he is hired and he works successively with three generations of Kähler: August Herman, Herman HC and Nils Kähler.

He developed his own technique of glazing characterized by white and black tones.

He then turns to red clay unglazed which cooled in sawdust, creating a smoky surface, which is then waxed or oiled.

At the end of his career, encouraged by Nils Kähler, Svend creates some monumental works: floor vases and large jars in red unglazed terracotta. But the Hammershøj work remains associated with its production of white-gray-black items.