International contemporary art platform31.07.1889–1966
Júlíana Sveinsdóttir
Júlíana Sveinsdóttir (1889–1966) was among Iceland’s first female artists and textile artists. Trained by Thorarin B. Thorleiksson, she lived in Denmark but returned to Iceland each summer, drawing inspiration for her landscape paintings. Her work in portraiture and landscape earned recognition including the Eckersberg Medal in 1947.
Biography
Júlíana Sveinsdóttir was born on July 31, 1889, in Vestmannaeyjar, Iceland. She became one of the first women in Iceland to work professionally in painting and textile art. Her initial training was under the noted Icelandic artist Thorarin B. Thorleiksson. Later, she settled in Denmark, while returning to Iceland every summer. These visits inspired many of her landscape paintings. Her oeuvre spans portrait and landscape genres, and her artistic achievements were recognized with the Eckersberg Medal awarded to one of her landscape paintings in 1947. Júlíana Sveinsdóttir passed away in 1966 in Denmark. While she lived abroad, her cultural affiliation remained Icelandic, reflected in the themes and subjects of her work.
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