Bibliotheca Arnamagnæana. Supplementum - 01.08.1967, Page 145

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while baroque acanthus ornamentation can only be faintly traced in a few cases. The most noteworthy
elements are conservatism and the everlasting Romanesque vine.
Incised work grew in importance with the spread of very low relief, «flat carving». At the same time,
however, the auricular style seemed to give rise to a renewed interest in rounded relief. It also led to ex-
tensive use of the gouge. The cavettos or fluting of stems and leaves gave plant ornamentation a completely
new appearance. The result was the characteristic stems in rounded relief with a deep groove along one
side, so that one half seems concave, so to speak, while the other is convex.
The geographical distribution of the dated material appears to indicate that the most important sources
of woodwork still lay in the northern districts.
The end of the seventeenth century brought hard times, and most activities in Iceland nearly came to a
standstill. However, no such stagnation can be demonstrated in the field of woodwork.
2. Backwaters and rococo.
In a period of serious depressions, with difficulties increased by various natural catastrophes, the waves
of enlightenment reached even Iceland, bringing a sense of new spiritual and cultural values. Senior
officials and professional men must have been very interested in art in the eighteenth century: we know that
many of them tried their hands at wood-carving.
With regard to this century, the dated material available comprises no less than 169 objects adorned
with plant ornamentation. There is a relatively large proportion of very ordinary works, but also many
of a surprisingly high standard. «Flat carving» is dominant, and incising is spreading, but rounded relief
is also firmly established. Plant ornamentation is still varied, at least as much as in the seventeenth century.
Practitioners at this time were strikingly fond of flowers.
The types of decorated objects are largely the same as before, only a few new groups appearing. Where
the individual categories are large enough to permit a conclusion about them, it appears that the choice
of motif is traditional. The undulating vine is still very popular, adorning no fewer than 102 of the 169
objects. Most of the vines are in «flat carving», but another characteristic type has the rounded and fluted
stems. There are also several individual types.
A consideration of the vine ornamentation in chronological order shows «development» to have been in
capricious fits and starts. One moves from Romanesque to rococo and back by way of a kind of «vegetable
auricular» and acanthus vines in «flat» relief.
Nor does the study of other motifs reveal consistent development in any particular direction. There is
a rather basic respect for the laws of symmetry, but this does not limit the variety of patterns and forms.
The plant forms are not infrequently combined with ribbons or letters.
A large number of undated works are stylistically so close to the dated ones that they can confidently
be placed in the same century. Some bear the stamp of amateur «folk art», but many must have been made
by professionals.
The majority of the carvers remain anonymous, but we know some names (listed on p. 107), and
can occasionally see the same hand at work on different carvings. Mention will be made here of some
relatively productive wood-carvers who seem to have been trained craftsmen.
Þórarinn Einarsson, born about 1670, worked in the north. Works by him that have been preserved are
parts of a cupboard from 1699 (figs. 103 and 104) and some barge boards from churches (figs. 148 and 273).
In addition, a later drawing (fig. 274) shows us some other carvings now lost. This is baroque carving with
very vigorous plant forms, which, however, are not acanthus.
10 - Islandsk Treskurd