Einar Jónsson's Books

Opening up the Collection

Abstract

At the Einar Jónsson Museum, the first art museum in Iceland to open to the public in its own dedicated building in 1923 — there is a substantial book collection. Most of the books focus on artists and their works, along with various spiritual topics that were of particular interest  to Einar. Until now, these books have not been accessible to the public. The Museum recently received a grant from the Icelandic Visual Arts Fund to explore the book collection, and this project hopefully marks the first step towards making it available in an innovative way. Special emphasis will be placed on highlighting, through the museum’s website, the books that Einar most often explored, offering insight into his thought processes and artistic interests. A considerable number of the books contain annotations and markings. By opening up this collection, visitors will gain a deeper understanding of Einar Jónsson’s ideas, providing inspiration for further research or personal exploration.