Jóhannes Sveinsson Kjarval (15 October 1885 – 13 April 1972) was an

Iceland Iceland ( is, Ísland; ) is a Nordic island country in the North Atlantic Ocean and in the Arctic Ocean. Iceland is the most sparsely populated country in Europe. Iceland's capital and largest city is Reykjavík, which (along with its s ...

painter Painting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a solid surface (called the "matrix" or "support"). The medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush, but other implements, such as knives, sponges, and ai ...

. He is considered one of the most important artists of

Early life

Born in poverty, Kjarval was adopted and as a young man worked as a fisherman. He spent his spare time drawing and painting, and learned basic skills from artist

Ásgrímur Jónsson Ásgrímur Jónsson (March 4, 1876 – April 5, 1958) was an Icelandic painter, and one of the first in the country to make art a professional living. He studied at the Royal Academy in Copenhagen between 1900 and 1903 and traveled widely afte ...

. At age 27 with financial support from fishermen and the

Icelandic Confederation of Labour The Icelandic Confederation of Labour (ASÍ) (Icelandic: Alþýðusamband Íslands) is a trade union centre in Iceland. It was formed in 1916 and has a membership of 104,500, approximately half of the Icelandic workforce. The ASÍ is affiliated ...

he passed an entrance examination and was admitted to the

Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts The Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts ( da, Det Kongelige Danske Kunstakademi - Billedkunst Skolerne) has provided education in the arts for more than 250 years, playing its part in the development of the art of Denmark. History The Royal Dani ...

for higher education in the arts where he completed his studies. During his time in Copenhagen, he became acquainted with various styles including

impressionism Impressionism was a 19th-century art movement characterized by relatively small, thin, yet visible brush strokes, open Composition (visual arts), composition, emphasis on accurate depiction of light in its changing qualities (often accentuating ...

expressionism Expressionism is a modernist movement, initially in poetry and painting, originating in Northern Europe around the beginning of the 20th century. Its typical trait is to present the world solely from a subjective perspective, distorting it rad ...

and

cubism Cubism is an early-20th-century avant-garde art movement that revolutionized European painting and sculpture, and inspired related movements in music, literature and architecture. In Cubist artwork, objects are analyzed, broken up and reassemble ...

, and he also became an accomplished draughtsman. Later he also took trips to France and Italy.

Style

Kjarval was a prolific painter, leaving thousands of drawings and paintings. The

paintings Painting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a solid surface (called the "matrix" or "support"). The medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush, but other implements, such as knives, sponges, and ai ...

vary greatly in style and frequently mix different styles. Although not surreal, some of his works include absurd and symbolist elements, mixing elves and myths into landscape. Many of his works include Icelandic landscapes and lava formations but many of his landscape paintings are partially "cubist" and abstract with his focus on the closest ground rather than the mountains in the background. Later in his life his art frequently also included abstract painting. In 1958, he was awarded the

Prince Eugen Medal The Prince Eugen Medal ( sv, Prins Eugen-medaljen) is a medal conferred by the King of Sweden for "outstanding artistic achievement". The medal was established in 1945 by the then King of Sweden, Gustaf V, in connection with the eightieth birthd ...

by the King of Sweden.

Legacy

* In

Reykjavík Reykjavík ( ; ) is the capital and largest city of Iceland. It is located in southwestern Iceland, on the southern shore of Faxaflói bay. Its latitude is 64°08' N, making it the world's northernmost capital of a sovereign state. With a po ...

, one of three buildings belonging to the

Reykjavík Art Museum Reykjavik Art Museum ( is, Listasafn Reykjavíkur ; founded in 1973) is the largest visual art institution in Iceland. It occupies three locations in Reykjavík; Hafnarhús by the old harbour Kjarvalsstaðir by Klambratún and Ásmundarsafn i ...

is called ''Kjarvalsstaðir'' and presents Kjarval's works alongside temporary exhibitions. * He is depicted on the Icelandic 2000 króna banknote. * The 1977 debut album ''

Björk Björk Guðmundsdóttir ( , ; born 21 November 1965), known mononymously as Björk, is an Icelandic singer, songwriter, composer, record producer, and actress. Noted for her distinct three-octave vocal range and eccentric persona, she has de ...

'' by

includes an instrumental flute tribute to Kjarval, written and performed by Björk

References

External links

Kjarvalstaðir
(archived on 19 October 2021) {{DEFAULTSORT:Kjarval, Johannes Sveinsson 1885 births 1972 deaths Johannes Sveinsson Kjarval Modern painters Johannes Sveinsson Kjarval Recipients of the Prince Eugen Medal Johannes Sveinsson Kjarval

Early life

Style

Legacy

See also

References

External links