Sámal Joensen-Mikines
Encyclopedia
Sámuel Joensen-Mikines was a Faroese
painter
. He was the first recognised painter of the Faroe Islands
and one of the Faroe Islands most important artists. Many of his paintings have been displayed on Faroese stamps.
Joensen-Mikines was never in doubt that he would be an artist, and his first inclination was to be musician and play the violin
. But in the summer of 1924 the Swedish bird painter William Gislander visited the Faroe Islands
for painting the enormous colonies of birds. Gislander was not a great artist, but for the young Joensen-Mikines he was the idol, whose steps he followed from the very beginning, and who let him make his first brush strokes with the remainders of paint that could squeeze out of Gislander's tubes. His paintings were inspired both by Edvard Munch
and Eugène Delacroix
, and his trend-setting art was decisive for the development of Faeroese art.
The most early works of Mikines are from the middle of the 1920s. He then painted in a fresh and naturalistic style with a precise representation of colour and motif
s. He was asked by the author and artist William Heinesen
to apply for the "Danske Kunstakademi", the Royal Danish Art Academy. He was admitted on the Painting School in 1928 and had Ejnar Mikkelsen and later on Aksel Jørgensen as teachers. He settled in Denmark
but was almost every year on Mykines in the summer until 1971. On Mykines he draw and painted as he also made rough sketches which later on became paintings during the winter in Denmark. S J Mikines travelled many other places than Mykines and also these places were among his motifs. S J Mikines participated in countless exhibitions since his debut in Tórshavn
in 1927, where all his paintings were sold and his paintings can be seen many different places. Apart from Listaskálin in Tórshavn
, where a great permanent exhibition is, paintings can be seen in the Faroese Parliament as well in many bank
s and savings banks all over the Faroes. Paintings of Mikines can also be seen in "Statens Museum for Kunst" in Copenhagen
.
With Aksel Jørgensen and Ejner Nielsen as his teachers and together with the Norwegian painter Edvard Munch, they inspired Mikines' symbolic, expressive, and often sombre and dramatic portrayals in which death plays a major role. The darkest paintings are dated around 1934, which became a fateful year for Mikines. His native village, Mikines, was struck by grief when a large part of the male population of the village drowned because of a boat wreck. Furthermore this was the year when Mikines' father died. Mikines has described it as an artistic experience when his father's coffin
was carried through the village. But later paintings of, for example, his native village were noticeably light and idyllic. The drama, however, remained an important part of the artistic expression of Mikines.
Faroe Islands
The Faroe Islands are an island group situated between the Norwegian Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, approximately halfway between Scotland and Iceland. The Faroe Islands are a self-governing territory within the Kingdom of Denmark, along with Denmark proper and Greenland...
painter
Painting
Painting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a surface . The application of the medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush but other objects can be used. In art, the term painting describes both the act and the result of the action. However, painting is...
. He was the first recognised painter of the Faroe Islands
Faroe Islands
The Faroe Islands are an island group situated between the Norwegian Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, approximately halfway between Scotland and Iceland. The Faroe Islands are a self-governing territory within the Kingdom of Denmark, along with Denmark proper and Greenland...
and one of the Faroe Islands most important artists. Many of his paintings have been displayed on Faroese stamps.
Joensen-Mikines was never in doubt that he would be an artist, and his first inclination was to be musician and play the violin
Violin
The violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
. But in the summer of 1924 the Swedish bird painter William Gislander visited the Faroe Islands
Faroe Islands
The Faroe Islands are an island group situated between the Norwegian Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, approximately halfway between Scotland and Iceland. The Faroe Islands are a self-governing territory within the Kingdom of Denmark, along with Denmark proper and Greenland...
for painting the enormous colonies of birds. Gislander was not a great artist, but for the young Joensen-Mikines he was the idol, whose steps he followed from the very beginning, and who let him make his first brush strokes with the remainders of paint that could squeeze out of Gislander's tubes. His paintings were inspired both by Edvard Munch
Edvard Munch
Edvard Munch was a Norwegian Symbolist painter, printmaker and an important forerunner of expressionist art. His best-known composition, The Scream, is part of a series The Frieze of Life, in which Munch explored the themes of love, fear, death, melancholia, and anxiety.- Childhood :Edvard Munch...
and Eugène Delacroix
Eugène Delacroix
Ferdinand Victor Eugène Delacroix was a French Romantic artist regarded from the outset of his career as the leader of the French Romantic school...
, and his trend-setting art was decisive for the development of Faeroese art.
The most early works of Mikines are from the middle of the 1920s. He then painted in a fresh and naturalistic style with a precise representation of colour and motif
Motif (art)
In art, a motif is an element of a pattern, an image or part of one, or a theme. A motif may be repeated in a design or composition, often many times, or may just occur once in a work. A motif may be an element in the iconography of a particular subject or type of subject that is seen in other...
s. He was asked by the author and artist William Heinesen
William Heinesen
Andreas William Heinesen was a poet, composer and painter from the Faroe Islands.- His Writing :The Faroese capital Tórshavn is always the centre of Heinesen's writing. He is famous for having once called Tórshavn "The Navel of the World". His writing focuses on contrasts between darkness and...
to apply for the "Danske Kunstakademi", the Royal Danish Art Academy. He was admitted on the Painting School in 1928 and had Ejnar Mikkelsen and later on Aksel Jørgensen as teachers. He settled 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...
but was almost every year on Mykines in the summer until 1971. On Mykines he draw and painted as he also made rough sketches which later on became paintings during the winter in Denmark. S J Mikines travelled many other places than Mykines and also these places were among his motifs. S J Mikines participated in countless exhibitions since his debut in Tórshavn
Tórshavn
Tórshavn is the capital and largest town of the Faroe Islands. It is located in the southern part on the east coast of Streymoy. To the north west of the town lies the high mountain Húsareyn, and to the southwest, the high Kirkjubøreyn...
in 1927, where all his paintings were sold and his paintings can be seen many different places. Apart from Listaskálin in Tórshavn
Tórshavn
Tórshavn is the capital and largest town of the Faroe Islands. It is located in the southern part on the east coast of Streymoy. To the north west of the town lies the high mountain Húsareyn, and to the southwest, the high Kirkjubøreyn...
, where a great permanent exhibition is, paintings can be seen in the Faroese Parliament as well in many bank
Bank
A bank is a financial institution that serves as a financial intermediary. The term "bank" may refer to one of several related types of entities:...
s and savings banks all over the Faroes. Paintings of Mikines can also be seen in "Statens Museum for Kunst" in Copenhagen
Copenhagen
Copenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban population of 1,199,224 and a metropolitan population of 1,930,260 . With the completion of the transnational Øresund Bridge in 2000, Copenhagen has become the centre of the increasingly integrating Øresund Region...
.
With Aksel Jørgensen and Ejner Nielsen as his teachers and together with the Norwegian painter Edvard Munch, they inspired Mikines' symbolic, expressive, and often sombre and dramatic portrayals in which death plays a major role. The darkest paintings are dated around 1934, which became a fateful year for Mikines. His native village, Mikines, was struck by grief when a large part of the male population of the village drowned because of a boat wreck. Furthermore this was the year when Mikines' father died. Mikines has described it as an artistic experience when his father's coffin
Coffin
A coffin is a funerary box used in the display and containment of dead people – either for burial or cremation.Contemporary North American English makes a distinction between "coffin", which is generally understood to denote a funerary box having six sides in plan view, and "casket", which...
was carried through the village. But later paintings of, for example, his native village were noticeably light and idyllic. The drama, however, remained an important part of the artistic expression of Mikines.
The portrait: 1934
It is disputed who the woman is on the vertical portrait painted 1934, many people believe the portrait shows the artist's wife, and it certainly does resemble her very precisely; others say that she is an anonymous woman from the village Sørvag. The horizontal painting shows a woman standing beside the sea coast, looking out for her husband to arrive home from the sea. Although this set is dedicated to "Famous Women", the women are anonymous, but Mikines intended it to represent the Faroese Woman.Sources
- The Faroe Islands Art Museum
- http://arthistory.heindorffhus.dk/frame-JoensenMikines.htm