Árbók Hins íslenzka fornleifafélags - 01.01.1999, Síða 105

ÚTSKURÐUR OG LÍKNESKJUSMÍÐ ÚRTRÉ
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executed with great skill, but the scenes with human figures appear amateurish. This is a
common ffeature in work of all sizes, both ecclesiasdc and domesric. Much of the decorarion has
retained a strong medieval (Rontanesque) character (figs. 40-42,1).
Antong the decorative carving it seenrs that Eyjafjörður and Skagafjörður in north
lceland have produced particularly nrany quality pieces — until well into the 17th century.
From around the nriddle of the century a nrarkedly new style appeared, known as Auricular
or Oleaginous Baroque. It was due in particular to Guðmundur Guðmundsson fronr
Borgarfjörður, the first nrodern specialist educated abroad in the history of Icelandic
carving. He was trained in Copenhagen and later given a number of conrnrissions in his
home country. He was the nraster builder for the great new tinrber cathedral at Skálholt. In
addition to Auricular Baroque decoration, he carved sonre very characteristic foliage scrolls
which can really be regarded as vine-scrolls (e.g. figs 42,2 & 43). Sonre surviving figurative
pieces nray also be his work (e.g. fig. 44).
Sonre other wood-carvers also worked in the Auricular Baroque style, anrong thenr
Illugi Jónsson. One of his nrajor pieces is the pulpit in Laufas Church in Eyjafjörður, with
the date 1698 (fig. 45), which seems to have been pardy inspired by the Guðbrandur pulpit
fronr 1594 (fig. 38).
Otherwise the nrore traditional nredieval fornrs also donrinated in the second half of the
century (e.g. figs. 46-53), but nrost of the carvers’ nanres are forgotten.The carving on sonre
cupboards do have later features as well as nredieval (e.g. fig. 51). Five cupboards, probably
from Eyjafjörður (e.g. fig. 52) seenr particularly old-fashioned, related to the old stave-
church doorways, and sonre hand nrangles are decorated in a sinrilar nranner (fig. 53).
During a period of serious econonric depression, when circunrstances were aggravated
through huge natural catastrophes, tlre Age of Enlightennrent nevertheless reached Iceland,
bringing with it a feeling for new spiritual and cultural values. But there nrust have been a
great interest in art anrong the nrenrbers of the governing classes already in the early 18th
century and we know that nrany of thenr engaged in wood-carving.
Medieval fornrs and Renaissance and Baroque thenres continued to be developed.
Moreover, the nrore professional wood-carvers were responsible for introducing the
subsequent styles.
The nrost old-fashioned styles are found orr donrestic objects. At tinres, however, the
scrolling foliage took on a naturalistic appearance (e.g. fig. 54) and throughout the whole
century the wood-carvers were remarkably fond of flowers.
Floral Baroque is represented by Þórarinn Einarsson around 1700 (see figs. 55-56).
Many anonymous wood-carvers have left pieces in the Auricular Baroque style (e.g.
figs. 57, 66, 67). One productive carver whose name is known to us was Hjalti Þorstánsson,
the rural dean inVatnsfjörður.The most extensive piece we have from his hand is the pulpit
from Vatnsfjörður church (fig. 59), but he also produced medieval-type sculptures (e.g.
fig. 58).
A particular foliage decoration in Vestfirðir, known froni the 17th century (see figs. 49-
50), continued in use (e.g. fig. 60). It is related to ntedieval decoration and was used so
much in lcelandic handwork that it has become known as the „Icelandic style" (see
fig. 16).
The majority of the carved domestic objects are relatively small and easily transportable,
but carving is also found on fixed inventory (e.g. figs 61,66).
One of the most professional decorative carvers of the period was Hallgrímur Jónsson,
who was active in north Iceland in the second half of the 18th century. He combined