The Einar Jónsson Sculpture Museum

Einar Jónsson – a pioneer of Icelandic sculpture in the 20th century Einar Jónsson was the first Icelandic sculptor to make a career in his art. He studied at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts 1896–99. Initially he made naturalistic sculptures with the focus on depicting reality. The first sculpture he exhibited was Útlagar /Outlaws, in 1901. In this work he sought inspiration in the Icelandic folklore tradition, psychology, and emotions. Dögun/Dawn is another work that references an Icelandic folktale of a night-troll, that will turn to stone if touched by the rays of the sun. In other works, Einar evokes Greek and Norse mythology, for instance in the bas-relief Listgyðjan/The Muse of Art, 1902, and the sculpture Ýmir og Auðhumla/ Ýmir and Auðhumla, 1907-09. The latter is on display in the sculpture garden behind the museum. After 1903 Einar subscribed to Symbolism, with emphasis on the ideological content of artworks, rather than their style. Symbolism, a radical philosophical approach to art, emphasised the purpose of art and the role of the artist. Einar was also drawn to Neo-Idealism, which stressed the importance of imagination and fantasy in art; this artistic movement was also grounded in the personality and imagination of the artist and the spiritual aspects of life. An example of a work in which Einar sought to resolve the big philosophical questions of existence is seen in Alda aldanna/Wave of Ages 1894–1905. A bronze cast of the sculpture is on display in the museum’s sculpture garden.  In 1910 Einar became acquainted with Theosophy, which led to a fundamental change in his life and art. From that time onwards he made allegorical works which employed a range of symbolism. An example is Hvíld/Rest, 1915–1935. Einar Jónsson was a pioneer of Icelandic sculpture, who had a major influence upon Icelandic art. He made many statues of renowned Icelanders which are on public display in central Reykjavík, among them a sculpture of Jón Sigurðsson, leader of the Icelandic independence movement in the 19th century. Einar returned to Iceland in 1920 at the age of 46 and remained in the country for the rest of his life.