En Plain Air - Along the South Coast

Upon completion of his studies at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Copenhagen, Ásgrímur returned to Iceland as soon as possible, grateful to be free again. He was determined to reconnect with the land and put his new knowledge to work by painting Icelandic nature and thus expressing his love for nation and country – to capture the moment, the ever-shifting light, and paint outdoors en plein air in the style of the French and the painters of the Danish Golden Age. Most of Ásgrímur's teachers, including Frederik Vermehren, Otto Bache, and Holger Grønvold, were of the Eckersberg school. C.W. Eckersberg (1783–1853) was one of Denmark's most admired artists. He was for a time a professor at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts and served as its rector, and the Academy's annual medal bears his name.

On his return home in 1909, Ásgrímur went to his native South Iceland, travelling east through the Skaftafell districts in 1910, 1911 and 1912. These travels are documented in numerous oil paintings and watercolours where the artist interprets the pure light with masterful skill. The exhibition includes numerous oil paintings and watercolours from 1909–1928.