THE GIFT TO THE PEOPLE

ASÍ Art Museum’s Founding Collection from Ragnar Jónsson at Smári

June 14 – September 15, 2019

It was big news when the entrepreneur Ragnar Jónsson, known for his margarine factory Smári, decided to donate his collection of paintings to the Icelandic Confederation of Labour (ASÍ). At a solemn ceremony in the summer of 1961, 120 works were presented to ASÍ and Ragnar added still more to the collection in the years that followed, 147 works in total. He made his donation in honour of his friend Erlendur at Unuhús, who had nurtured culture and the arts. ASÍ Art Museum was founded that same year. In Ragnar´s collection are works by Iceland´s best known artists from the first half of last century including Þórarinn B. Þorláksson, Jóhannes S. Kjarval, Ásgrímur Jónsson, Jón Stefánsson, Gunnlaugur Scheving og Þorvaldur Skúlason.

The exhibition is a collaboration between the LÁ Art Museum and the ASÍ Art Museum and the curator is art historian Kristín G. Guðnadóttir.

List of Artists:

Þórarinn B. Þorláksson 1867 – 1924

Ásgrímur Jónsson 1876 – 1958

Jón Stefánsson 1881 – 1962

Jóhannes S. Kjarval 1885 – 1972

Júlíana Sveinsdóttir 1889 – 1966

Gunnlaugur Scheving 1904 – 1972

Þorvaldur Skúlason 1906 – 1984

Jóhann Briem 1907 – 1991

Jón Engilberts 1908 – 1972

Svavar Guðnason 1909 – 1988

Nína Tryggvadóttir 1913 – 1968

Sigurður Sigurðsson 1916 – 1996

Louisa Matthíasdóttir 1917 – 2000

Valtýr Pétursson 1919 – 1988

Karl Kvaran 1924 – 1989