Inspiration: Vilhelm Hammershoi

I was standing around in my in-law's house the other day, waiting to leave, when I found a book about art on their bookshelf. I flipped it open and read about the painter Vilhelm Hammershoi.

He is most famous for his quiet, serene paintings of home interiors in grey, blue and white colors. Although Hammershoi lived from 1864-1916, I think his interiors look like photos from the pages of today's Martha Stewart Living or Real Simple magazine.

Many of his paintings feature a woman seen from the back. According to Wikipedia, this is his wife. I wonder why he always painted her from the back?