The National Gallery of Iceland ( is, Listasafn Íslands ) is an art museum 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 ...

which contains a collection of Icelandic art. The gallery features artwork of famous Icelandic artists and artwork that helps explain the traditional

Icelandic culture The culture of Iceland is rich and varied as well as being known for its literary heritage which began in the 12th century. Icelandic traditional arts include weaving, silversmithing, and wood carving. The Reykjavík area has several professional t ...

History

The National Gallery of Iceland was founded in 1884 in

Copenhagen Copenhagen ( or .; da, København ) is the capital and most populous city of Denmark, with a proper population of around 815.000 in the last quarter of 2022; and some 1.370,000 in the urban area; and the wider Copenhagen metropolitan ar ...

, Denmark, by Björn Bjarnarson. The collection consisted of donated artwork, mainly by

Danish art Danish art is the visual arts produced in Denmark or by Danish artists. It goes back thousands of years with significant artifacts from the 2nd millennium BC, such as the Trundholm sun chariot. For many early periods, it is usually considered ...

ists.

The museum remained an independent institution from its inception in 1884 until 1916 when the

Althing The Alþingi (''general meeting'' in Icelandic, , anglicised as ' or ') is the supreme national parliament of Iceland. It is one of the oldest surviving parliaments in the world. The Althing was founded in 930 at (" thing fields" or "assemb ...

(the Icelandic Parliament) decided to make it a department of the

National Museum of Iceland National may refer to: Common uses * Nation or country ** Nationality – a ''national'' is a person who is subject to a nation, regardless of whether the person has full rights as a citizen Places in the United States * National, Maryland, c ...

. In 1928 a law was passed in the Althing on the Council of Culture, and under that law the National Gallery came under the supervision of the council. The collection was on display at the Alþingishús (the House of Parliament) from 1885 until 1950 when it was transferred to the building of the

on Suðurgata in Reykjavík. There the collection was formally opened to the public in 1951, and in 1961 a law was passed making the museum fully independent. In 1987 the collection was moved again to Fríkirkjuvegur 7. The main building was erected as a freezing plant in 1916, designed by Icelandic architect

Guðjón Samúelsson Guðjón Samúelsson (16 April 1887 – 25 April 1950) was a State Architect of Iceland, and the first Icelander to be educated in architecture. He's been described as one of Iceland's most influential architects. His notable designs include the ...

. A later addition to the building is the work of architect Garðar Halldórsson.

Exhibitions

National Gallery of Iceland holds rotating exhibitions that reflect its collection or display work by individual artists, Icelandic as well as foreign ones. A variety of pieces from the National Gallery's collection are displayed in the first phase of the exhibition ''Millenium'' at the Culture House. The National Gallery's building at Fríkirkjuvegur 7 houses several exhibition halls on three floors, an art store, and a café. The National Gallery's offices are situated on Laufásvegur 12, adjacent to the exhibition halls. The same building houses a restoration laboratory and a specialist library containing archives, documentation, and photographs. The National Gallery's library is a research library that emphasizes the preservation and the dissemination of material that relates to Icelandic art.

External links

Gallery website
Art museums and galleries in Iceland National museums of Iceland Museums in Reykjavík {{Europe-art-display-stub