Agnes Lunn (1841–1950)
Hekla seen from Ørebak, Iceland, 1904
Watercolour on paper

At the beginning of the 20th century, Agnes Lunn visited Iceland on several occasions, where she combined her interest in riding with creating sculptures of Icelandic horses and painting small watercolours of the landscapes.¹ Here she has depicted the volcano Hekla, its peak shrouded in low-hanging clouds. In the foreground and middle ground is a flat expanse of meadow made lush and green by summer. Some houses and horses can be glimpsed in the distance.

Agnes Lunn made her watercolour in 1904. At that time, Iceland was still Danish. That is why her inscription lists the place name as Ørebak rather than Eyrarbakki, as the small fishing village on Iceland’s south coast is called today. I 1904, Eyrarbakki served as the trading centre of the region, where fishing was the main occupation. In addition, the town also boasted one of the oldest buildings in the country, the ‘House on Eyrarbakki’, which was a cultural centre at the time, attracting locals as well as visiting guests such as Agnes Lunn.

In addition to her many trips to Iceland, Agnes Lunn visited France, Italy and Greece on numerous occasions, often in the company of friends and fellow artists such as Anne Marie Carl-Nielsen and Helen Schou.