CULTURE
Icelanders are proof that
a rich cultural life can be developed despite a small population.
The country's literary heritage stems from writers of the 12th
to 14th centuries who vividly recorded the sagas of Iceland's
first 250 years. Other traditional arts include weaving, silver
crafting, and wood carving. Poetry was the great literary form
of expression in the 19th century, whereas the novel and drama
have been the prime forms of literature in the 20th century. The
Reykjavík area, which supports several professional theatres,
a symphony orchestra, an opera, and a number of art galleries,
bookstores, cinemas, and museums, has a cultural environment that
compares favourably with those of cities several times its size.
It also holds biennial international art festivals.
Art in Iceland was long connected
with religion, first the Roman Catholic church and later the Lutheran
church. The first professional secular painters appeared in Iceland
in the 19th century. Gradually increasing in number, these painters,
such as Jóhannes Kjarval, highlighted the character and
beauty of their country. Painting continues to thrive in Iceland,
where artists have fused foreign influences with local heritage.
The old traditions in silver working have been retained, the most
characteristic of which is the use of silver thread for ornamentation.
Literature is also alive and
well in Iceland. The literary tradition of the saga has been revived,
and Iceland has often been the setting of 20th-century fiction.
Several Icelandic writers have received international acclaim,
such as Halldór Laxness, who received the Nobel Prize for
Literature in 1955. Other native writers have written for the
theatre, and their work has grown more international in theme
and setting. Music also enjoyed a tremendous upsurge after World
War II. The programs of the Iceland Symphony are drawn from a
classical repertoire and the work of modern Icelandic composers,
and one or more operas or musicals are performed every year at
the National Theatre and the Icelandic Opera. Popular music by
Icelandic performers, such as Björk, has gained international
commercial success and critical acclaim.
