Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
2-5pm Tue, Thu & Sun mid-May-mid-Sep, 2-5pm Sun mid-Sep-Nov & Feb-mid-May)
Iceland's first professional painter, Ásgrímur Jónsson (1876-1958), was the son of a farm-
er. He lived and worked here, and you can visit his former atelier to see his work incorpor-
ating folk tales and Icelandic nature.
Einar Jónsson Museum
ART MUSEUM
Sun Jun-mid-Sep, 1-5pm Sat & Sun mid-Sep-Nov & Feb-May)
Einar Jónsson (1874-1954) is one of Iceland's foremost sculptors, famous for intense sym-
bolist works. Chiselled representations of Hope, Earth and Death burst from basalt cliffs,
weep over naked women and slay dragons. Jónsson designed the building, which was built
between 1916 and 1923, when this empty hill was the outskirts of town. It also contains
his austere penthouse flat and studio, with views over the city.
26 bronzes, in the shadow of Hallgrímskirkja.
Culture House
ART MUSEUM
Ikr1000/free; 11am-5pm)
At the time of writing this museum was being reimagined as a collaboration between the
National Museum, National Gallery and four other organisations as a study of the artistic
heritage of Iceland from Settlement to today.
Volcano Show
FILM
daily)
Eccentric eruption-chaser Villi Knudsen is the cinematographer and presenter of this film
show in a little theatre in an outbuilding on a residential street (not to be confused with
Volcano House
). Some are captivated by Villi and his films about 50 years of Icelandic
volcanoes (eg images of the town Heimaey being crushed by molten lava), although some
footage is a bit old and wobbly, so it's not for everyone.
