Bessastaðir - The Official Residence of the President of Iceland.
Treasures of Icelandic Art at Bessastaðir
The President of Iceland, Halla Tómasdóttir, in collaboration with the National Gallery of Iceland, has renewed the selection of Icelandic artworks on display at Bessastaðir. Since the founding of the Republic, the National Gallery has loaned artworks to Bessastaðir, the official residence of the President of Iceland and a site of great cultural significance. Every year, thousands of visitors—both Icelandic and international—tour the presidential residence, where the works of Icelandic artists consistently draw considerable interest. The house is also regularly opened to the public at least twice a year, during Museum Night and Culture Night.
A total of 28 Icelandic artworks from the National Gallery’s collection now adorn Bessastaðir following this renewal, in addition to several pieces owned by the Office of the President.
In selecting new works for the residence, emphasis was placed on expanding the diversity of the art on view. The collection now spans a broader period of Icelandic art history, and works by women artists have been added to achieve gender balance in representation.
Mother and child, 1946 Tove Ólafsson 1909-1992 in the Flower pavilion at Bessastaðir
South Room
In the South Room of Bessastaðir are works by artists who have all explored the visual language of abstract art, spanning nearly a century. The oldest piece is by Finn Jónsson, a pioneer of abstract art in Iceland. Among the works featured in his first exhibition in 1925 was Ode to the Moon, which is now on view at Bessastaðir. The most recent work in the South Room is Arc from 2023 by Kristín Morthens, born in 1992. Other artists represented in the South Room include Svavar Guðnason, Nína Tryggvadóttir, Guðmunda Andrésdóttir, and Kristján Davíðsson.
South Room
Reception Room
In the Reception Room at Bessastaðir, the major work Abstraction from 1962 by Nína Tryggvadóttir takes center stage, while Jóhannes Kjarval’s Longing for Flight continues to command attention in the space, now accompanied by his painting Flowers in a Landscape. Kjarval’s Gust of Wind also remains in its original location in the library.
New additions to the Reception Hall include works by Kristín Jónsdóttir, Júlíana Sveinsdóttir, Jón Stefánsson, Kristján Davíðsson, Georg Guðni Hauksson, and Eggert Pétursson. Though each artist expresses it in their own distinctive way, they all draw inspiration from the Icelandic landscape.
Reception Room
Dining Room
The Dining Room at Bessastaðir is dedicated to a selection of works inspired by traditional Icelandic livelihoods. In the paintings by Kristín Jónsdóttir, Þorvaldur Skúlason, and Jón Engilberts, we see depictions of people engaged in various forms of urban labor and daily life. By contrast, a sense of rural romanticism pervades the works of Louisa Matthíasdóttir and Jóhann Briem, which also grace the walls of the Dining Room.
Louisa Matthíasdóttir LÍ ÞGIG/647
Jón Engilberts LÍ 794
Jóhann Briem LÍ 1331
Kristín Jónsdóttir LÍ 459
Þorvaldur Skúlason LÍ 4848
Dining Room
Thomsen Corridor and Thomsen Room
The Thomsen Corridor is adorned with works by Nína Sæmundsson and Júlíana Sveinsdóttir, along with a handwoven tapestry presented to President Halla Tómasdóttir by President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine during his official visit to Iceland in October 2024.
In the Thomsen Room, works by three pioneers of Icelandic art—Þórarinn B. Þorláksson, Ásgrímur Jónsson, and Jóhannes Kjarval—have been selected for display. The room also features a painting from 1847 by Danish artist Emanuel Larsen, held in the Bessastaðir collection.
Nína Sæmundsson LÍ 3579
Júlíana Sveinsdóttir LÍ 3597
Jóhannes Kjarval LÍ 6967
Ásgrímur Jónsson LÍÁJ 226/54
Þórarinn B. Þorláksson LÍ 75
Thomsen Corridor and Thomsen Room