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ween onerous duties, and their art suffered proportionately. The lives
of these old artists have recently been written and published in two
handy volumes (Islenzkir lislamenn, i. e. Icelandic Artists, by M.
ThérBdarson).
In the present century the two best known painlers are Théravinn
Thorliksson (1867—1924) and Asgrimur Jénsson (b. 1876), both especially
noteworthy as painters of Icelandic landscapes, in which branch
they are pioneers.
In 1928 paintings by Icelandic artists were exhibited in Copenhagen,
Berlin, Hamburg, Liibeck and elsewhere, and highly praised by art
critics. The works exhibited were by the following artists: Asgr. Jénsson,
Finnur Jénsson, Gudmundur Einarsson, Gudmundur Thorsteinsson,
Gunnlaugur Bléndal, Johs. S. Kjarval, Jén Stef4nsson, J6n Thor-‘eifsson,
Miss Jiliana Sveinsdéitir, and Mrs. Kristin Jénsdéttir.
Sculpture. Einar Jonsson (1874—) is Iceland's first and greatest
sculptor. He has — inter alia — made monuments of Jénas Hallgrimsson,
Jén SigurBsson, and Ingélfur Arnarson (the first colonist of
Iceland), all in Reykjavik. A statue by him of Thorfinnur Karlsefni,
an [celander, the first white man who came to America with a view
to settling there, was unveiled in Philadelphia in 1920. A book containing
fine reproductions of Jénsson's works together with an appreciation
of the principles of his art has recently been published in
[celand.
Noteworthy among the younger sculptors are: Asmundur Sveinsson,
Gudmundur Einarsson (also a painter), RikharBur Jénsson, and Miss
Nina Samundsson.
Music. Singing was found in Iceland in the earliest times, and
sometimes, when the scalds recited their poems, they are said to have
sung them,
In the ninth century or about the time when Iceland began to be
colonized, we hear of the first attempts made at polyphonic song; the
melody was, sung in consecutive or parallel fifths and octaves. The
theory of harmony which arose from these experiments has now altogether
discarded parallel fifths, but in Iceland this system has been
preserved almost down to the present dav in the so-called duef- or
yuint-song.
During the Roman Catholic era candidates for orders had to be
rained in music, i. e. the Gregorian Chant of the Roman Catholic
Church. After the Reformation this instruction was, indeed, continued
under the name of Grallara-séngur (from: Graduale), but it soon fell