“With its face-like formations, Mount Esja, which is visible from Reykjavik on a clear day, is a naturally formed equivalent to America’s Mount Rushmore. Possessing a vivid imagination and creative prowess, Kjarval expertly captured the soulful shapes of the mountain and nature, and seamlessly incorporated them into his works. The following statement/dedication appears in the composition: “Dear highly regarded venerable Jon Sveinbjørnsson, Copenhagen. When I saw your birthday photo in today’s newspaper here in Reykjavik, I was inspired to do a drawing of the rock formation in Esjan. Wishing you good health and happiness. Yours, Johannes Kjarval.” Over the years, Kjarval executed several interpretations of the “photogenic” mountain: Ink and pencil drawings, which, according to the graphic artist Gylfi Gíslasson, should not be seen as preliminary studies for oil paintings, but as works in their own right: “Kjarval also drew landscapes as independent works of art. In Mt. Esja in the Spring Thaw (p. 432), he drew up an image with broad pitch-black strokes of India ink showing screes on sheer mountain slopes, with paper-white snowdrifts between the brushstrokes and in the gullies and hollows, and a belt of rock ledges at the top. The dingy sky above is done in shades of grey smudged from pools of ink that have dried out to enhance the overall effect. Such a drawing is an independent work of art, not a preparation for a painting.” Kjarval, 1885–1972”, p. 528, other interpretations of Mount Esja reproduced on p. 524. Provenance: Private collection, Iceland.