Saga Sites

"Mt. Helgafell" W.G. Collingwood (June 14, 1897)

There’s a great little exhibit at the Scandinavia House right now. “Saga Sites: Landscapes of the Icelandic Sagas” features 19th century watercolours by W.G. Collingwood of the sites associated with the sagas of Icelanders juxtaposed with modern photographs by Einar Falur Ingólfsson of the same locations.

Englishman W.G. Collingwood journeyed to Iceland in 1897 with his friend Jón Stefánsson to visit the various settings of the sagas—important prose stories about the people who settled Iceland that became the foundation of the country’s literary tradition. He completed 300 watercolours during his three-month trip and later published them in A Pilgrimage to the Sagasteads of Iceland. Between 2007 and 2009, Icelandic photographer Einar Falur Ingólfsson, interested in seeing how the saga sites had changed since Collingwood's time, set out to capture them with his camera. And while he used Collingwood's watercolours and writings as a guide, he often shot from a different perspective. 

"From Mt. Helgafell" Einar Falur Ingólfsson (June 27, 2009)

In many cases, the areas appear to have changed little in the past 100 years save for the occasional telephone lines. Sometimes the modern view takes an almost comic turn: an empty field in the 19th century today is home to an abandoned bus. I especially loved the landscapes that show a lone house in the watercolour and in the photograph a slightly more modern lone house.

Many of Collingwood's watercolours are small yet filled with great details. He captures the beauty of the land while conjuring up the feeling of isolation. Ingólfsson’s photographs are vivid with rich colour and often quite striking, their large format helping to convey the vastness of the land.

The works of these two artists allow the viewer to place the people from the sagas in their environment, bringing the stories to life. But most of all they show the unique place that is Iceland. I went to Iceland one year for my birthday and loved it—magnificient mountains and waterfalls; crater-filled land and volcanoes; crystal clear rivers and geysers. There's no other place quite like it.

The exhibit runs through January 12, 2013 and the admission is free. For more information, visit the Scandinavia House here.

Scandinavian Modernism

"Girl Under the Apple Tree" Edvard Munch (1904)

A couple of months before the historic Armory Show opened in New York in February 1913 another art show, "Exhibition of Contemporary Scandinavian Art," had already shocked the crowds. Included among the artists receiving their first American showing was Edvard Munch. His work alone (take a look at that tree) was probably shocking enough for the viewers.

Now 100 years later, the Scandinavia House in New York has compiled a less radical but still impressive exhibit with many of the same artists in "Luminous Modernism: Scandinavian Art Comes to America 1912." With representation from all of the Scandinavian countries this time, the exhibit throws a light on some artists still little known outside Europe.

“Interior of Woman Placing Branches in Vase on Table” Vihelm Hammershoi (1900)

From the almost Old Masters quality of "Interior of Woman Placing Branches in Vase on Table" by the Danish Vilhelm Hammershøi to the Mattisse-like "Nude Woman" by Norwegian Jean Heiberg to the very Nordic "South Mountain" by the Swedish Karl Nordström, the exhibit illustrates the often conflicting pull these artists felt between their Nordic cultural heritage and the French influence so prevalent at the beginning of the century. 

Included in the exhibit are some very recognizable names—Anders Zorn, Carl Larsson, and of course, Evard Munch. While familiar, their work was not my favourite. I much preferred the Icelanders whose work appeared even vastly different from that of their fellow Scandinavian artists. In particular I adored "Moonlight," a small watercolour of a young woman waiting on the rocks by Ásgrímur Jónsson that was both hauntingly romantic.

At a time when the mention of Scandinavia usually brings up the names Stieg Larsson and Ikea (I'm exaggerating a bit but not really) this exhibit is particularly refreshing. So if you can, check it out and see for yourself what other New Yorkers did so many years ago. 

"Luminous Modernism" is at the Scandinavia House through February 11, 2012. In addition to exhibits, they host movie screenings, lectures, and have a great restaurant, the Smörgås Chef @ Scandinavia House. For more information, visit their website here.