Louisa Matthíasdóttir
Encyclopedia
Louisa Matthíasdóttir was an Iceland
ic-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
. Her early paintings, dating from the late 1930s, established her as a leading figure in the Icelandic avant-garde
community (many of whom met together in a house in Reykjavík called Unuhús). In these paintings, subjects are painted with a broad brush, emphasizing geometric form. These paintings already show much of the character of Matthíasdóttir's mature work, but are more subdued in color.
Her move to New York
in 1942 was followed by a period of study under Hans Hofmann
, along with other painters including Robert De Niro, Sr.
(father of the actor) and Jane Freilicher. In 1944 she married painter Leland Bell
, and until Bell's death in 1991 they enjoyed a partnership of mutual support. Matthíasdóttir's first solo exhibition took place at Jane Street Gallery in New York in 1948, and while her work of the 1950s saw her introducing elements of expressionism
, from the 1960s until the end of her life she developed and refined the idiom of forthright color, uncluttered composition and brisk execution for which she is best known.
The paintings of Matthíasdóttir's final three decades include Icelandic landscapes, a series of self-portraits, and tabletop still-life arrangements. The landscapes often include charmingly stylized depictions of Icelandic horses and sheep. She was to remain an Icelandic citizen all her life, the physical characteristics of her native land informing her bold treatment of form and clarity of light. The poet John Ashbery
described the result as the "flavor, both mellow and astringent, which no other painter gives us."
In 1996, Matthíasdóttir was awarded the American-Scandinavian Foundation's Cultural Award, and in 1998 became a member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters. She died in Delhi, New York
in 2000. Her work is represented in many public collections, including the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden
in Washington, D.C.
and the Reykjavík Art Museum
.
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...
ic-American painter
Visual arts of the United States
American art encompasses the history of painting and visual art in the United States. In the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, artists primarily painted landscapes and portraits in a realistic style. A parallel development taking shape in rural America was the American craft movement,...
.
Matthíasdóttir was born in 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...
. She showed artistic ability at an early age, and studied first in Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
and then under Marcel Gromaire
Marcel Gromaire
Marcel Gromaire was a French painter. He painted many works on social subjects, and is often associated with Social Realism.-Early life:...
in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
. Her early paintings, dating from the late 1930s, established her as a leading figure in the Icelandic avant-garde
Avant-garde
Avant-garde means "advance guard" or "vanguard". The adjective form is used in English to refer to people or works that are experimental or innovative, particularly with respect to art, culture, and politics....
community (many of whom met together in a house in Reykjavík called Unuhús). In these paintings, subjects are painted with a broad brush, emphasizing geometric form. These paintings already show much of the character of Matthíasdóttir's mature work, but are more subdued in color.
Her move to New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
in 1942 was followed by a period of study under Hans Hofmann
Hans Hofmann
Hans Hofmann was a German-born American abstract expressionist painter.-Biography:Hofmann was born in Weißenburg, Bavaria on March 21, 1880, the son of Theodor and Franziska Hofmann. When he was six he moved with his family to Munich...
, along with other painters including Robert De Niro, Sr.
Robert De Niro, Sr.
Robert Henry De Niro, Sr. was an American abstract expressionist painter and the father of actor Robert De Niro.-Life and career:...
(father of the actor) and Jane Freilicher. In 1944 she married painter Leland Bell
Leland Bell
Leland Bell was an American painter.Leland Bell was a self-taught painter whose passion for the discipline of painting has inspired and influenced many. He was also a fierce advocate for artists that he admired like Karl Knaths, Jean Arp, Piet Mondrian, Balthus, Alberto Giacometti, André Derain,...
, and until Bell's death in 1991 they enjoyed a partnership of mutual support. Matthíasdóttir's first solo exhibition took place at Jane Street Gallery in New York in 1948, and while her work of the 1950s saw her introducing elements of expressionism
Expressionism
Expressionism was a modernist movement, initially in poetry and painting, originating in Germany at the beginning of the 20th century. Its typical trait is to present the world solely from a subjective perspective, distorting it radically for emotional effect in order to evoke moods or ideas...
, from the 1960s until the end of her life she developed and refined the idiom of forthright color, uncluttered composition and brisk execution for which she is best known.
The paintings of Matthíasdóttir's final three decades include Icelandic landscapes, a series of self-portraits, and tabletop still-life arrangements. The landscapes often include charmingly stylized depictions of Icelandic horses and sheep. She was to remain an Icelandic citizen all her life, the physical characteristics of her native land informing her bold treatment of form and clarity of light. The poet John Ashbery
John Ashbery
John Lawrence Ashbery is an American poet. He has published more than twenty volumes of poetry and won nearly every major American award for poetry, including a Pulitzer Prize in 1976 for his collection Self-Portrait in a Convex Mirror. But Ashbery's work still proves controversial...
described the result as the "flavor, both mellow and astringent, which no other painter gives us."
In 1996, Matthíasdóttir was awarded the American-Scandinavian Foundation's Cultural Award, and in 1998 became a member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters. She died in Delhi, New York
Delhi, New York
Delhi, New York may refer to:* Delhi , New York, county seat of Delaware County, New York, USA* Delhi , New York, in which the village of Delhi is located...
in 2000. Her work is represented in many public collections, including the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden
Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden
The Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden is an art museum beside the National Mall, in Washington, D.C., the United States. The museum was initially endowed during the 1960s with the permanent art collection of Joseph H. Hirshhorn. It was designed by architect Gordon Bunshaft and is part of the...
in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
and the Reykjavík Art Museum
Reykjavik Art Museum
Reykjavik Art Museum is the largest visual art institution in Iceland. It occupies three locations in Reykjavík; in Harbour House by the old harbour at Kjarvalsstaðir by Klambratún and in Ásmundur Sveinsson Sculpture Museum in Laugardalur...
.
Exhibition
- 2011: From Unuhús to West 8th Street at Kjarvalstaðir, Reykjavík Art Museum