This is a two thousend kroner Icelandic note. It has Kjarvals picture on it.Back to index here
In 1968 Johannes S. Kjarval was the best known and most beloved painter in Iceland, a national treasure. World famous, at least in the eyes of many Icelanders at that time. They considered him the best known Icelander abroad at least until the writer Laxnes won the Nobel price in the mid fifties.
In 1968 Johannes S. Kjarval was the best known and most beloved painter in Iceland, a national treasure. World famous, at least in the eyes of many Icelanders at that time. They considered him the best known Icelander abroad at least until the writer Laxnes won the Nobel price in the mid fifties.
By 1968 his health was deteriorating, he was unable to take care of himself and moved into Hotel Borg (the grandest hotel then in Iceland) at the expense of the City of Reykjavik (my granfather had given great sums of money to the City some years before and in that year).
That fall (oct. 7. or nov. 7. 1968), the Mayor of Reykjavik (Mr. Geir Hallgrimsson later prime minister of Iceland) and Mr. Alfred Gudmundsson (an employee of the City of Reykjavik and later head of the Kjarval art museum in Reykjavik) went to the painter's studio while his son (my father) was in Denmark recovering from a nervous breakdown, and made arrangements to remove all his art and most personal belonings from the studio and seal them in boxes for storage.
No documents where done at that time, except a “list of contents” made by Mrs. Steinunn Bjarman (this list is extraordinary incomplete and no mention of a gift in it).
No written agreement was done between the City of Reykjavik and the artist at this time or ever. No documents were done within the City goverment at that time mentioning any this so called "gift". No documents what so ever except this list.
No written agreement was done between the City of Reykjavik and the artist at this time or ever. No documents were done within the City goverment at that time mentioning any this so called "gift". No documents what so ever except this list.
The 28th of Januray, Johannes Kjarval was put into the mental ward at the City Hospital of Reykjavik, because he had lost his mind. He died in 1972 without ever leaving that hospital.
For years, the family tried to hire lawyers in Iceland and get a case started against the City of Reykjavik, but no lawyer in Iceland wanted to be involved, documenst to prove that.
For years, the family tried to hire lawyers in Iceland and get a case started against the City of Reykjavik, but no lawyer in Iceland wanted to be involved, documenst to prove that.
My father hired several while he was alive but nothing ever happend. When the family hired a Danish lawyer in 1979 (Klerk), he said it was like hitting a stonewall bringing this case to Iceland.
My father died in 1981. In 1982 a lawyer was hired by Mr. Gudmundur Axelsson (an art dealer in Iceland at that time) on behalf of my aunt Aase, the late painter's daughter who lived in Denmark to write a report about this case. His name is Mr. Baldur Gudlaugsson who today works in the finance ministry. I repeatedly asked him for this report, but he claimes it lost, and also that it was not made for me. Later I got this report from an other source. It is in English text on this web.
My father died in 1981. In 1982 a lawyer was hired by Mr. Gudmundur Axelsson (an art dealer in Iceland at that time) on behalf of my aunt Aase, the late painter's daughter who lived in Denmark to write a report about this case. His name is Mr. Baldur Gudlaugsson who today works in the finance ministry. I repeatedly asked him for this report, but he claimes it lost, and also that it was not made for me. Later I got this report from an other source. It is in English text on this web.
In the fall of 1982, a meeting was held at the City of Reykjavik mayor’s office, to discuss this report (I have the minutes, they are also on this web in English). Present were, the prime minister of Iceland (Mr. Geir Hallgrimsson former mayor of the City of Reykjavik), Mr. Alfred Gudmundsson (then the head of the art museum Kjarvalsstadir), the lawyer for the city and Mr. David Oddsson then mayor of Reykjavik and later the prime minister of Iceland for 11 years.
After this meeting, one document was brought fourth, as a proof this was a gift, a Diary by the son of Mr. Alfred Gudmundsson, where in this gift is mentioned on the date of the 7th of Nov. 1968 as given that day. A letter was written by a relative and sent to my father in Denmark at that time descriping these event , the relative saying he was present at the studio when the mayor and Mr. Alfred Gudmundsson made these arrangements and no mention of a gift.
The relative states in this letter that these arrangements were only for storage of these boxes. 153 boxes were then stored (sealed) by the City of Reykjavik for 17 years (most of them), until the seals were broken and the boxes unpacked in 1985 without the family present.
When the boxes were unpacked, more than 5000 works by the late painter were found, but had not been listed in the inventory. The diary by Mr. Gudmundur only mentioned a few dozen. This is the case in very broad strokes. These years, both children of the painter went bankrupt. They are now both diseased.
Today the value of these works could easily be 10 to 20 million dollars.