Tún in Reykjavík in Reykjavíkurborg, Höfuðborgarsvæðið, Iceland — North Atlantic and Artic Oceans (a Nordic Island)

Louisa Matthíasdóttir

Photographed by Andrew Ruppenstein, June 8, 2017

1. Louisa Matthíasdóttir Marker

Inscription. Louisa Matthíasdóttir (1917-2000) er einn af fremstu listamönnum Íslendinga á sviði málaralistar. Hún ólst upp í Höfða frá átta ára aldri en fjölskylda hennar bjó í húsinu frá 1924 til 1937. Louisa byrjaði snemma að teikna og mála og var í hópi framsæknustu listamanna sinnar kynslóðar strax á unga aldri. Hún var hluti af hópi fólks sem hittist gjarnan í Unuhúsi við Garðastrætí, en þar var athvarf skálda og listamanna í Reykjavík fyrri hluta tuttugustu aldar.

Louisa fór ung til listnáms í Danmörku og síðar í París en sneri aftur heim 1939. Hún hélt til frekara myndlistarnáms í New York árið 1942 bar sem hún settist siðan að með bandarískum eiginmanni sínum, listmálaranum Leland Bell. Einföldun og föst formbygging einkenndu verk Louisu. Þótt hún fyndi myndefni í sínu nánasta umhverfi og málaði heimilið og fólkið í kringum sig var Ísland henni ætíð innblástur. Louisa málaði landið á þann hátt að tær náttúra Íslands skín í gegnum frjálslega endurgerð þess landslags sem hún upplifði í æsku. Sjálf sagði hún að uppvaxtarárin Höfða og fjallasýnin þaðan hefðu haft mikil áhrif á sig:

„Ég horfði á Esjuna dagsdaglega í tíu ár, svo hún hlaut að festast í mér. Ég er enn að mála þessi mótíf. Esjuna, Skarðsheiðina, Akrafjollið og allt það."

Paid Advertisement

Click or scan to see
this page online

Louisa Matthiasdottir (1917-2000) is one of Iceland's leading visual artists. When she was eight years old, her family moved to Höfði, where she grew up. The family owned the home from 1924 to 1937. Louisa started painting and drawing at an early age and soon became one of the most progressive artists of her generation. She was part of a set that frequented Unuhús in Garðastrætí, a private home in Reykjavik's Vesturbær neighbourhood, which was a kind of salon for artists and writers at the time.

Louisa studied art in Denmark and later in Paris, but returned home to Iceland in 1939. She then went to New York in 1942 for further studies and ended up settling there with her American husband, the artist Leland Bell. Simplicity and solid forms characterize Louisa's work. Although she drew upon her immediate surroundings for her subjects and painted her home and the people in her life, Iceland always inspired her. Creating free reconstructions of the landscapes of her youth, Louisa painted the country in a way that allowed Iceland's pristine nature to shine through. She said herself that her childhood years in Höfði, with

Louisa Matthíasdóttir Marker - Wide View image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Andrew Ruppenstein, June 8, 2017

2. Louisa Matthíasdóttir Marker - Wide View

its mountain view, influenced her greatly:

"I looked of Mount Esjo every day for ten years so it must be in my blood. I am still painting these motifs: the mountains of Esjo, Skorasheiai, Akrafjall - all of it."

Erected by Reykjavíkurborg.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Arts, Letters, Music • Women. A significant historical year for this entry is 1924.

Location. 64° 8.785′ N, 21° 54.357′ W. Marker is in Reykjavík, Capital Region (Höfuðborgarsvæðið), in Reykjavíkurborg. It is in Tún. It is on Fjörutún 0.1 kilometers north of Borgartún, on the right when traveling north. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Reykjavík, Capital Region 105, Iceland. Touch for directions.

Regionally, it is on the Atlantic Ocean,

in the North Atlantic Region,

on the Atlantic Arc,

in Europe,

in Atlantic Europe,

in the Nordic Countries,

in the Schengen Area,

in the Western Hemisphere,

and in the Western World.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Höfði House (a few steps from this marker); Einar Benediktsson (a few steps from this marker);

Louisa Matthíasdóttir - Inset Photo image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Einar Falur Ingólfsson, 1992

3. Louisa Matthíasdóttir - Inset Photo

Upphaf Frjálsra Fjarskipta Á Íslandi / The Beginning of Telecommunications in Iceland (within shouting distance of this marker); Franski Spítalinn / The French Hospital (approx. 0.9 kilometers away); Bújarðir í Reykjavík / Farmsteads in Reykjavík (approx. 0.9 kilometers away); Hverfisgata 45 (approx. one kilometer away); Founding of the Reykjavik Water Utility / Uphaf vatnsveitu (approx. one kilometer away); Sjúkrahús Hvítabandsins / White Ribbon Hospital (approx. 1.2 kilometers away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Reykjavík.

Also see . . . Louisa Matthíasdóttir (Wikipedia). (Submitted on July 15, 2017.)

Credits. This page was last revised on May 26, 2022. It was originally submitted on July 15, 2017, by Andrew Ruppenstein of Lamorinda, California. This page has been viewed 340 times since then and 20 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on July 15, 2017, by Andrew Ruppenstein of Lamorinda, California.