Gljúfrasteinn
Encyclopedia
Gljúfrasteinn was the home of Halldór Kiljan Laxness
, a 1955 Nobel Prize for Literature winner. It is located in Mosfellsdalur, east of Reykjavík
, Iceland
.
The house was built in 1945 by Halldór and his wife Auður Sveinsdóttir. The architect was Ágúst Pálsson and the interior designer was Birta Fróðadóttir. Gljúfrasteinn is built on the banks of the river Kaldakvísl and is situated close to Laxness’s childhood home, Laxnes.
Halldór Laxness was a prominent figure in Icelandic society and his status only increased after he won the Nobel Prize in 1955. Laxness's home became a cultural hub in Iceland where important foreign guests were brought for official as well as unofficial visits. International musicians would frequently give concerts in his living room.
Paintings by some of the most celebrated 20th century Icelandic artists adorn the walls of Gljúfrasteinn. Visitors can view works by artists such as Svavar Guðnason
, Nína Tryggvadóttir
, Louisa Matthíasdóttir
, Jóhannes Kjarval, Karl Kvaran
, Ásmundur Sveinsson
, as well as works by the Danish painter Asger Jorn
and the Norwegian painter Jakob Weidemann
.
In 2002 Laxness's widow, Auður, sold the house to the Icelandic state. In September 2004 it was opened for the public as a museum. Visitors can take a guided tour through the house, and the museum hosts concerts during the summer.
Halldór Laxness
Halldór Kiljan Laxness was a twentieth-century Icelandic writer. Throughout his career Laxness wrote poetry, newspaper articles, plays, travelogues, short stories, and novels...
, a 1955 Nobel Prize for Literature winner. It is located in Mosfellsdalur, east of Reykjavík
Reykjavík
Reykjavík is the capital and largest city in Iceland.Its latitude at 64°08' N makes it the world's northernmost capital of a sovereign state. It is located in southwestern Iceland, on the southern shore of Faxaflói Bay...
, Iceland
Iceland
Iceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...
.
The house was built in 1945 by Halldór and his wife Auður Sveinsdóttir. The architect was Ágúst Pálsson and the interior designer was Birta Fróðadóttir. Gljúfrasteinn is built on the banks of the river Kaldakvísl and is situated close to Laxness’s childhood home, Laxnes.
Halldór Laxness was a prominent figure in Icelandic society and his status only increased after he won the Nobel Prize in 1955. Laxness's home became a cultural hub in Iceland where important foreign guests were brought for official as well as unofficial visits. International musicians would frequently give concerts in his living room.
Paintings by some of the most celebrated 20th century Icelandic artists adorn the walls of Gljúfrasteinn. Visitors can view works by artists such as Svavar Guðnason
Svavar Guðnason
Svavar Guðnason was an Icelandic painter.-Bibliography:*...
, Nína Tryggvadóttir
Nína Tryggvadóttir
Nína Tryggvadóttir was born Jónína Tryggvadóttir in Seyðisfjörður, Iceland.Nína Tryggvadóttir is one of Iceland's most important abstract expressionist artists and one of very few Icelandic female artists of her generation. Mainly working in painting she also did paper collage, stained glass work,...
, Louisa Matthíasdóttir
Louisa Matthíasdóttir
Louisa Matthíasdóttir was an Icelandic-American painter.Matthíasdóttir was born in Reykjavík. She showed artistic ability at an early age, and studied first in Denmark and then under Marcel Gromaire in Paris...
, Jóhannes Kjarval, Karl Kvaran
Karl Kvaran
Karl Kvaran was an Icelandic painter and draughtsman. He was born in Borðeyri in western Iceland and died in Reykjavík...
, Ásmundur Sveinsson
Ásmundur Sveinsson
Ásmundur Sveinsson was an Icelandic sculptor, was born at Kolsstadir in West Iceland on May 20, 1893 and died in Reykjavík on December 9, 1982.-Early years:...
, as well as works by the Danish painter Asger Jorn
Asger Jorn
Asger Oluf Jorn was a Danish painter, sculptor, ceramic artist, and author. He was a founding member of the avant-garde movement COBRA and the Situationist International...
and the Norwegian painter Jakob Weidemann
Jakob Weidemann
Jakob Weidemann was a Norwegian artist. Jakob Weidemann is regarded as one of Norway’s more important artists of post-war Modernism.-Biography:...
.
In 2002 Laxness's widow, Auður, sold the house to the Icelandic state. In September 2004 it was opened for the public as a museum. Visitors can take a guided tour through the house, and the museum hosts concerts during the summer.
External links
- Gljúfrasteinn website including English information