Yesterday’s edition of Morgunbladid reported recent discoveries of Kjarval’s work.
Major-General R.N. Stewart was a well-known salmon fisherman in the twentieth century who often came to Iceland in the early decades of the twentieth century; he would lease the fishing rights in Hrútafjardará and Síká rivers. He wrote Rivers of Iceland, a book published by the Icelandic Tourist Bureau in 1950, of which only few copies exist today.
The Icelandic Literary Society recruited Einar Falur Guðmundsson, a journalist for Morgunbladid, to translate the book. He traveled to Major-General Stewart’s home in the highlands of Scotland to find documentation relating to his experiences in Iceland.
In Stewart’s home, Einar Falur found documents of importance relating to Iceland’s fishing traditions of earlier days, including: fishing logs documenting not only Stewart’s fishing records but those of his companions; dozens of photo albums containing numerous photos from fishing expeditions, rivers and travels around the country; and various other documents.
In Stewart’s documentation from a fishing expedition in Hrútafirdi from the summer of 1950, the journalist found a letter from painter Jóhannes Kjarval, embellished with beautiful illustrations, where he thanks Stewart for Rivers of Iceland.
From Kjarvalsstadir. Photo by Páll Kjartansson.
With the letter came six drawings or sketches of Dyrfjöll mountains, animals, and other figures from Icelandic nature all presumed to be references to Stewart’s travels. Stewart’s daughter said the drawings had remained intact in the journal for the last six decades.
Today’s edition of Morgunbladid will feature an article about this great fisherman and author, his fishing expeditions in Iceland, and photos he took in Iceland and his home in Scotland.
