Håndskriftsamleren Arni Magnusson 1773

This 1773 engraving by J.F. Clemens depicts Arni Magnusson, a prominent Icelandic scholar and collector of manuscripts, as a bust in an allegorical scene. The bust rests on a stone base with an inscription, "Arnas." Surrounding the bust are various symbolic objects representing Magnusson's scholarly pursuits including an open book, a scroll, and a compass. The engraving, which is now part of the SMK - Statens Museum for Kunst collection, exemplifies a tradition of portraiture that combined realism with symbolic imagery.