"Gislander 1924" – State of Research
An overview in numbers
A Puzzle of A Hundred Pieces
In 1924, the Swedish painter William Gislander spent nine months on the Faroe Islands. During this period, the artist produced approximately 100 works, depicting land- and seascapes as well as the islands’ wildlife.
Around 20 paintings were sold already before he left the islands in September. Around 80 were shown at the exhibition that opened in Copenhagen at the end of September.
This exhibition was the first to ever open a panorama of the Faroe Islands and their fauna. Despite the immense echo it sparked at the time, it has remained a blind spot in the Nordic history of art (see the introductory article here).
An Overview in Numbers
(last updated: 11 May 2026)
If we depart from a total of 100 paintings, I have so far been able to physically locate 11% of them. 7 of these paintings are found in private collections. Only 4 are known to be in public possession (Listasavn Føroya, Danish Parliament).
For a century, the great majority of paintings Gislander created during his 1924 stay – around 95% – has remained in private ownership. The records they left rarely allow researchers to reach the works and the present owners. For reasons of privacy, changed ownership in or bankruptcy of auction houses, archival limits, or catalogue systems that have become inaccessible today, the trail often stops where a painting re-enters private life.
Researching this historical view on the Faroe Islands can therefore only succeed with the support of citizens and collectors.
For approximately 30 paintings William Gislander produced on the islands, a first trace still needs to emerge. With the search list linked below, I reach out to pursue known traces of 60 paintings (+ the 1924 exhibition catalogue) whose whereabouts remain unknown:
0. The 1924 exhibition catalogue: 1 open item
I. Paintings known from modern reproductions: 21 open paintings
II. Paintings known from newspaper reproductions: 6 open paintings
III. Paintings known from descriptions: 8 open paintings
IV. Paintings known from their title: 22 open paintings
V. Attribution unclear: 3 open paintings
Please explore and help us to reconstruct a historical vision of the Faroe Islands!