Einar Jónsson Museum and Sculpture Garden, Reykjavik

Einar Jónsson is regarded as Iceland's first sculptor. Einar was born on a farm in southern Iceland in 1874. He had an artistic soul and traveled to Denmark to study art, and then continued his studies in Rome before returning to Denmark. Finally, in 1909, he agreed to return to Iceland. The Althing (Icelandic parliament) would provide Einar a museum and home, and in return, Einar would donate his sculptures to the museum.

Einar's works are primarily completed in plaster. Iceland doesn't have traditional modeling clay, and plaster allowed Einar to continue to work on his sculptures over extended time periods.

Einar produced public commissions, such as his 1920 Thorfinn Karlsefni. He also produced private commissions, such as his 1936 Monument to Dr. Charcot and His Ship. Finally, he produced artworks for the sake of creating art, such as Trees of Life and Death, which he worked on from 1909 to 1940.

The Einar Jónsson Museum was completed in 1923 and is Iceland's first art museum. Visitors can admire 300 of Einar's sculptures in the museum. Einar rejected classical sculpture and traditional art, preferring to follow his own path. His art encompasses Nordic folklore, Christian ideas, and figurative works.

Einar's apartment is also open to the public. Einar lived in the apartment above the museum until he died in 1954. Here, visitors can gain insight into Einar's fascinating life.

The sculpture garden contains 26 of Einar's bronze sets, including The Wave of Ages, The King of Atlantis, and Thor Wrestling with Age.