In 1958, the publishing company Helgafell decided to have colour reproductions made of a number of paintings by the finest Icelandic painters of the day. This had not been done before and was introduced as a major contribution to the culture of the nation. Finally painting would find a plae in people’s home alongside books, music and plays on the radio. “A short while ago Helgafell invited the public to see an exhibition of their reproductions together with the original paintings in order to demonstrate the fine quality of the reproductions. Ten prizes were offered to those who could identify which was the original and which was the reproduction. (The exhibition was mounted in such a way as to make this task as difficult as possible. For example: pictures were hung close to the ceiling in the high building). Of the hundreds of people who came to see the exhibition, only one person got all the answers right. This was a young man from Dalir in the the west. A pupil in the Arts and Crafts College, this young man Hreinn Friðfinnsson from Bær Miðdölum received all the prizes - all ten of the reproductions.”

Nýtt Helgafell Vol. IV. No. 1 (January-April 1959)