Through the halls of the Ateneum Museum: the most famous and interesting exhibits. Finnish artists A Finnish art historian accidentally discovered a lost work by Albert Edelfelt in the collections of a Russian regional museum

The majestic building of the Academy of Arts adorns the Neva embankment between the 3rd and 4th lines of Vasilyevsky Island. It is one of the best monuments of classical architecture.

The authors of the project are A.F. Kokorinov and J.B. Delamotte. The Imperial "Academy of the Three Most Noble Arts" ("Kolmen paataiteen akatemia") - painting, sculpture and architecture - was founded in 1757 in the era of Queen Elizabeth. For two and a half centuries of its activity, the academy has brought up many generations of fine art masters: painters, sculptors, architects. Among them are great artists whose works are presented in the museums of St. Petersburg, Moscow and many European capitals.

Architects and sculptors - graduates of the Academy built and decorated many cities in Russia and abroad. Much was built by them in St. Petersburg. Their works are also in Finland, because for many years the Academy of Arts was a place of active communication between Russian and Finnish art. The best Finnish artists were awarded the title of "Academician of Fine Arts". Among them were V.Runeberg, KG.Nystrem. But the first, of course, should be named, AZdelfelt.

Albert Edelfelt (Albert Gustaf Aristides Edelfelt, 1854-1905)

The largest master of historical painting, portrait, everyday genre. The first Finnish artist known abroad. Albert "was born near Porvoo in the family of an architect. He studied for two years at the University of Helsinki before he decided to devote himself to painting. He received his artistic education at the Academy of Fine Arts in Antwerp, and then in Paris at the School of Fine Arts. a number of paintings on historical subjects... But then the artist turns to genre scenes from nature, in which his love for his native land and interest in the life of ordinary people are vividly manifested... These are paintings: "On the sea", "Boys by the water", "Women from Ruokolahti ”, “Washerwomen”, “Fishermen from distant islands”.

In 1881, A. Edelfelt lived and worked in St. Petersburg for a long time, communicating with Russian artists. In 1881, a young Finnish artist presented his work to the St. Petersburg Academy of Arts. He was a great success: he was elected a member of the St. Petersburg Academy of Arts. In Tsarskoye Selo, a personal exhibition was organized for him. One of the paintings was bought by the imperial family. The author received new orders from the royal family, which brought him fame.

During his stay in Tsarskoye Selo, the artist was introduced to Tsarevich Alexander, and made a number of works on his order for the Gatchina Palace, in particular, a copy of the painting "On the Sea", which, among his other works, is kept in the Hermitage. Edelfelt's everyday sketches: "Good friends" and "In the nursery" - were also acquired by Alexander III. These paintings had repetitions that are in foreign museums.

The merit of Edelfelt was the organization of a number of joint exhibitions in Russia, thanks to which the Russian public got acquainted with the work of many Finnish artists.

Edelfelt's main activity can be called portrait painting. He worked a lot on orders, in particular, the royal court, creating official portraits. But the best in his portrait work are: "Portrait of the Artist's Mother" (1883), "Louis Pasteur" (1885), "Portrait of Larin Paraske" (1893), "Portrait of Aino Akte" (1901).

Official presentations and long-term friendly contacts.

The first Finnish artist to exhibit at the Imperial Academy of Arts at the end of the nineteenth century was the painter Albert Edelfelt. After a trip to Western Europe in 1881, the young Finnish artist presented his work to the St. Petersburg Academy of Arts. He was a great success - he was awarded the title of academician. In Tsarskoye Selo, a personal exhibition was organized for him. One of the paintings was bought by the imperial family.

The author received new orders from the royal family, which brought him fame. The proximity of the artist to the imperial family helped the popularity of Finnish painting in Russia. Thanks to the popularity and authority of A. Edelfelt in Russia, the art of Finland was reflected in joint Finnish-Russian art exhibitions in St. Petersburg and Moscow, starting from the Nizhny Novgorod exhibition in 1882.

Finnish artists in the Hermitage

The Hermitage has seven paintings by AEdelfelt and a number of drawings. In addition to the mentioned painting “On the Sea”, which in the first version is in the Gothenburg Museum, it should be noted the everyday painting composition “Good Friends” (1881), repetitions of which are in Gothenburg and Helsinki. Close to her in character is the painting “In the Nursery” (1885), also bought by Alexander III for the Gatchina Palace. One of the most democratic works of Edelfelt is the painting "Washerwomen" (1898, Hermitage), which was approved by Petersburg critics.

The portrait genre, in which AEdelfelt was especially strong, is represented in the Hermitage by a portrait of the wife of the Moscow Art Theater actor M.V. Dyakovskaya-Gay-mouth. The Hermitage collection also contains examples of the Finnish artist's landscape skills. These are the canvas "View of Porvoo" (1898) and the etching "Pine in the snow". It should be mentioned that the works of AEdelfelt are also stored in the Kiev Museum - the painting "Fishermen from Distant Islands" and in the Moscow Museum. A.S. Pushkin: "Portrait of Varvara Myatleva".

In addition, the Hermitage has paintings by Juho Risanen, Eero Nelimark and Henry Erickson.

Finnish artists at the St. Petersburg Academy of Arts

The architect K. G. Nystrem (1856-1917) made a great contribution to the architectural appearance of the capital of Finland. Suffice it to name the luxurious buildings of the House of Estates, the State Archives, decorating the surroundings of the Senate Square. One can recall the former customs house and warehouse in Katajanokka, the first indoor market near Kauppa-tori. But few people know that the architect KG.Nystrem also worked in St. Petersburg. According to his project, the building of the surgical clinic of the Medical Institute on the Petrograd side was built.

Nystrom was a professor at the Academy of Arts, and was awarded the title of academician of architecture.

The artist J. Rissanen is called one of the most original, strong and deeply national talents in Finnish painting of the last century. He painted portraits, genre paintings from folk life. After studying at the drawing school in Helsinki, he was sent to study at the St. Petersburg Academy of Arts, where he took a course under the guidance of I.E. Repin in 1897-98. Studying in St. Petersburg, communication with Russian artists and the whole atmosphere of creative life in St. Petersburg, seething with passions, raised the artist's work to a new height. After that, he worked fruitfully in Finland and abroad for many years. It is worth telling more about his studies and life in St. Petersburg.

Rissanen Juho (Julio Rissanen, 1873-1950)

Juho Rissanen was born in the vicinity of Kuopio in the family of a farm laborer. As a child, he had a hard time, at times he even had to beg when his father, a drunkard, died (froze). In 1896, Juho Rissanen entered the Finnish Art Society's central art and industrial drawing school in Helsinki, then in Turku.

As a child, Rudolf Koivu attended the St. Petersburg parish church school, where he mastered Finnish and Russian literacy. Since childhood, he loved to draw and attracted the attention of teachers in St. Petersburg. He was sent to study, but he had to earn a living. And only in 1907, R. Koivu managed to continue his studies in painting at the drawing school of the Finnish Society of Art Lovers.

There he was a student of Huto Simberg, the author of the famous "Wounded Angel". H. Simberg inherited from his teacher Gallen-Kallela faith in fantasy and the mystical power of nature. Rudolf Koivu then studied in Paris in 1914, and in 1924 in Italy. Returning to Finland, he joined the "November Group" circle of artists, but remained true to the realistic manner and painted his landscapes in a restrained, calm style of impressionism. Much more important than a painter, Koivu was a draftsman and illustrator.

Showing an unusually lively and vivid imagination, he illustrated dozens of fairy tale books, including the Finnish Topelius "Reading to Children", German - "Tales of the Brothers Grimm", Arabic tales "The Thousand and One Nights of Scheherez-dy", etc. Koivu enjoyed illustrating Christmas newspapers, Finnish calendars and other publications, developing himself, clearly drawing influence primarily from Russian illustrators, a rare, effective, brightly decorated style. His sense of humor is manifested in addition to fabulous pictures and drawings, as well as in caricatures that were successful with his contemporaries. Unfortunately, a collection (collection) of his paintings and drawings came out after his death in 1947.

Shulman Carl Allan (Carl Allan Schulman, 1863-1937)

An architect, a man of bright talents and destiny. Carl Allan received his architectural education in Finland, having been imbued with the innovative ideas of young Finnish modernists during his studies: E. Saari-nen, G. Giselius, A. Lindren. He was attracted by modern ideas. Having not received orders at home, the young architect K.A. Shulman works abroad: in Argentina, Germany, Holland, Sweden.

Upon returning to his homeland, he got the opportunity to build the Khallila resort on the Karelian Isthmus. The success of this building attracted attention in St. Petersburg. In 1901, he was opposite the Church of the Icon of the Mother of God of Vladimir. 88 architects participated in the competition. As a result, the owner of the house, Baron von Besser, entrusted the construction to Shulman. The six-storey Art Nouveau house adorned the square with its unique color. The lower floors are opened by large openings of windows-showcases.

And on the upper floors there is an unusual gallery, above the center of which rises a turret similar to the helmet of a hero. The stone details of the building are made of Finnish potted stone. They give a pattern of ornamentation, characteristic of Art Nouveau, depicting plants and animals. Above the entrance - the coat of arms of the owner - Baron von Besser. At the beginning of the 20th century, this house housed the reception of the imperial office, as well as the "House of industriousness for women". Now the house on Vladimirskaya is being reconstructed. It will be part of the Vladimirsky Passage shopping complex.

The house on Vladimirskaya is the only building in St. Petersburg built by one of the founders of the Finnish school of northern modernism, which later became widespread in the northern capital.

Then it was presented and developed by St. Petersburg architects: Flidval, N.V. Vasiliev, A.F. Bubyr. As for K. Shulman, he worked for many years as a provincial architect in the city of Vyborg, where he created 10 multi-storey buildings in the northern modern style. In addition, K.A. Shulman was a prominent figure in the Finnish Union of Architects, he acted as a professional musician-conductor. Choral groups under his leadership performed with success in St. Petersburg, Finland and abroad.

Gripenberg Odert Sebastian (Odert Sebastian Gripenberg, 1850-1939)

Gripenberg Odert Sebastian, architect; Born in Kurkijoki. The son of wealthy and noble parents, Odert studied at the cadet school in Hamina, and then at the St. Petersburg Military Engineering Academy. There he received military construction training, but left the army in 1875. He decided to become a professional architect. During this period, new methods of building appeared in St. Petersburg architecture. Eclecticism - the use of techniques from previous eras: the Renaissance, Gothic, Baroque - was combined with the search for new decorative details for processing the facades of multi-storey buildings. These are the famous buildings of A.K. Serebryakov, P.Yu. Syuzor, A.E. Belogrud.

In 1878, Gripenberg defended his diploma as an architect at the Polytechnic School, after which he studied back in Vienna. In 1879-87. he worked as an architect in Helsinki. His first works reflect the craving for the Renaissance, and the obvious influence of his teacher Shes-trem. In the future, the desire for a pronounced strong breakdown and division of the volumes of the building is manifested. These are such works as the building of the Society of Finnish Writers, the First Business Center, then the old building of Helsingin Sanomat, the building of the Savings Bank of Turku.

In 1887, he was appointed chief architect of the Office of Public (Civil) Construction, from where in 1904 he moved to the Senate as director of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

Gripenberg was the head of the board of the Joint-Stock Company "Finnish Theater House" and the executive director during the creation of the building of the National Theater, and was also the chairman of the board of directors of the insurance company "Pohjola". OS Gripenberg was the first chairman of the Finnish club of architects in 1892-1901, as well as one of the founders of the Finnish-speaking society of technicians.

Fanny (Maria) Churberg born in Finland December 12, 1845 in Vaasa. Finnish landscape painter, one of the greatest masters of her time. Her father Matthias (Matias Churberg) came from a farming family, but was a doctor by profession, and his mother Maria was the daughter of a priest. Fanny was the third child in a family of seven children.Four of her siblings died in early childhood, and so Fanny grew up with two older brothers, Valdemar and Torsten. When Fanny was twelve her mother died and she had to take on most of the responsibility of running the household.She was later sent to a girls' school in Porvoo and returned to Vaasa when she was 18 years old. INHer father died at the age of 20.Fanny nursed him day and night during the last months of his life.After the death of her father, she and her brothers moved to Helsinki, where they lived with their aunt. Fanny had a passion for drawing since childhood, and in 1865 about finally started her art training in Helsinki with private lessons with Alexander Frosterus-Saltin, Emma Gülden and Adolf Berndt Lindholm ( Alexandra Frosterus-Såltin , Emma Gyldén and Berndt Adolf Lindholm ).Continuing her studies in Düsseldorf in Germany, she always returned to Finland for the summer and painted a lot.She was one of the first Finnish artists who went on creative trips to France in Paris.Although Fanny's work remained largely in the style of the Düsseldorf school of landscape painting, she openly expressed her enthusiasm for depicting primarily the countryside with its dramatic situations, relying on the technique of quick brushwork and modesty of color.Her work differed sharply from the work of her contemporaries, it depended on her own feelings of the subjects, for example, the tense atmosphere before a thunderstorm in an open area or the deep, swampy core of the forest. She perceived all this in her own way, in Finnish ... I must say, that Fanny's exhibition works in her time were subject to strong criticism, which, of course, undermined her fortitude, raised doubts, she sometimes lost faith in her talent, but continued to write for herself.

In the forest.

Old Vaasa, home of Fanny.Drawing 1840. Johan Knutsson .Vaasa is a maritime city located in the west of Finland on the coast of the Gulf of Bothnia. The city is the administrative center of the province of Ostrobothnia. , it was in this province that Fanny's father had an old estate, in which, having grown up, Fanny and her brothers planned to run a household in childhood ... But fate decreed otherwise ...

Landscape overlooking the river. The painting probably depicts harvesting and drying reeds on boulders.

Place on the Rhine The picture was painted when Fanny was studying in Düsseldorf, when a powerful trend developed in the artistic circles of Germany to paint from life, when nature began to be considered their teacher. Artists usually went in batches to the South Rhine ....

Landscape with stacks.

Winter rye in stacks.

Spring landscape.

Waterfall.

Weathered rocks overgrown with forest.

Lunar landscape.

Forest (sketch).

Forest (sketch).

Old tree (sketch).

Summer greens.

August.

Autumn landscape.

Evening.

Winter evening.

Winter landscape.

Winter landscape after sunset.

Winter landscape.

Uusimaa. Landscape.

Twilight in the forest.

Scenery.

Lake in the Alps.

Birches near the water.

Pine.

In life, she was as lonely as this pine tree of hers ... Fanny, despite the fruitful years after her studies in terms of her career as an artist - she left 300 works during this time, she still lived a rather short and sad life. After the death of her parents on she was left with a house and, despite the fact that her older brothers. It was to them, to her two older brothers, that she devoted her life and the artist’s earnings, not so great, went to their maintenance. The old manor, which once brought income, went into debt. Fanny became very attached to her brothers, but when she was already 32 years old, one of the brothers marries and leaves, and when Fanny is already 37, the second one dies of long-term tuberculosis. She painted until the age of 35, and then she no longer had a desire to draw, but she remained aware of artistic life. October morning in 1882 she left her...

Lunar landscape.

Morning mood.

Summer landscape.

Scenery.

Landscape in Lapland.

Still life with vegetables and smoked herring.

Still life

Art of Finland

M. Bezrukova (painting and graphics); I. Tsagarelli (sculpture); O. Shvidkovsky S. Khan-Magomedov (architecture)

The formation of the Finnish national school in the visual arts dates back to the first half of the 19th century. In 1809, according to the Peace of Friedrichsham, Finland became part of the Russian Empire as a Grand Duchy, and the country, which had been a Swedish province for about 600 years, received relative independence. Prior to this, the art of Finland was subject to Swedish, and through Sweden to Danish influences. Folk traditions were preserved only in the legends of the epic "Kalevala", in hand-woven carpets - "ruyu" - and woodcarving. These living traditions served as the basis for the rise of national self-awareness in the first half of the 19th century, which was facilitated by the activities of the historian and philologist H. G. Portan, the writer Runeberg, and the collector of the Kalevala runes by Lönnrot. During these years, a number of artists appeared, setting themselves the goal of creating a national school in painting and sculpture. A large role in its formation belongs to the Finnish Art Society, which arose in 1846, led by Robert Ekman (1808-1873). He was the author of genre paintings written with documentary accuracy, and Finnish historians call him the "father of Finnish art." Ekman's work contributed to bringing art closer to folk life. In landscape painting, Werner Holmberg (1830-1860) paves the way for the national landscape. However, the true rise of Finnish painting falls on the 1880s-1890s. and is associated with the names of A. Gallen-Kallela, A. Edelfelt, E. Jarnefelt and P. Halonen. The art of these painters has entered the golden fund of Finnish artistic culture and represents the most valuable part of its contribution to world art.

Albert Edelfelt (1854-1905) was the first Finnish artist to achieve worldwide fame. His work occupies an important place in the history of the development of Finnish painting. Edelfelt, a Swede by origin, studied first in Helsinki, then at the Antwerp Academy of Arts and completed his education in Paris with J. L. Gerome. The name of Edelfelt is associated with the birth of impressionism in Finland.

Edelfelt begins as a historical painter (“The Swedish King Karl insults the corpse of his enemy Stadtholder Flemming in 1537”, 1878; Helsinki, Ateneum), but the true heyday of his work is due to the appeal to themes from the life of the people. The best canvases of the artist are "Women from Ruokolahti" (1887), "Fishermen from distant islands" (1898; both - Helsinki, Ateneum, "Storyteller Paraske" (1893; German private collection), which are distinguished by national themes and the brightness of the pictorial language. Babakh from Ruokolahti "the artist recreates a scene from folk life - four peasant women in national costumes are talking near the church fence. The constant desire for a more subtle transmission of the light and air environment, to create a holistic color sound of the picture, the expressiveness of the pictorial form, the free movement of the brush are the characteristic features of Edelfelt's manner - painter.

Edelfelt was an outstanding portrait painter who left us a gallery of his contemporaries; among the best portraits are "Portrait of L. Pasteur" (1885), "Portrait of the singer A. Akte" (1901), "Portrait of the mother" (1883; all - Helsinki, Ateneum). One of Edelfelt's last works was the monumental painting "The Celebration of the Opening of the University in Åbo" (1904) for the assembly hall of the university in Helsinki.

Eero Järnefelt (1863-1937) entered the history of Finnish painting as a singer of the life of a Finnish peasant, a soulful landscape painter and an excellent portrait painter. He studied at the drawing school of the Society of Artists in Helsinki, then at the St. Petersburg Academy and in Paris. He created his best works in the 1880s and 1890s: Washerwomen on the Shore (1889; Helsinki, private collection), Return from the Berry Forest (1888; Hämeenlinna, Museum of Art), Forced Labor (1893 ; Helsinki, Ateneum). All of them were written on the basis of direct impressions. So, the painting "Forced Labor" tells about the backbreaking work of peasants uprooting and burning out stumps. With mute reproach, a teenage girl with a face covered in soot looks at the viewer. Järnefelt created sharp portraits of a number of Finnish public figures (“Portrait of Professor Danielson-Kalmar”, 1896; Helsinki, private collection).

The art of Peka Halonen (1865-1933), who studied first in Helsinki, then in Paris and Italy, also has a democratic character. Brilliantly mastering the pictorial technique of working in the open air, Halonen applied all his skill to the image of his people and native nature. Thus, his “Wood Rafters at the Fire” (1893; Helsinki, Ateneum) are imbued with a warm feeling for the harsh nature and poor people of Finland. Halonen solves everyday subjects in a monumental-epic plan, and at the same time in landscapes he reveals himself as a subtle poet: a quiet backwater of the bay, Karelian houses, a stormy procession of northern spring - everything here is permeated with lyrical feeling. Despite the fact that Järnefelt and Halonen died in the 30s, their best works were created in the 1890s, and the art of these painters was still developing entirely in the traditions of the 19th century.

In contrast to them, the work of the most important Finnish artist, Axel Gallen-Kallela (1865-1931), reflected the contradictions that were characteristic of the art of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. In the 1900s Gallen-Kallela became one of the leading artists of the emerging Art Nouveau style, and only gradually, in the last two decades of his life, did he overcome modernism and return to realistic painting.

In the early period of creativity, Bastien-Lepage had a great influence on the young artist. Already the work of the second half of the 1880s. testify to the maturity and mastery of the artist's talent. The painting The First Lesson (1889; Helsinki, Ateneum), depicting a village hut in which an old fisherman listens to a reading girl, is marked by features of genuine realism. Traveling a lot around the country with the aim of a deeper study of the life of the people, Gallen-Kallela paints landscapes and genre paintings (The Shepherd from Panajärvi, 1892; Helsinki, private collection). In the 1890s the circle of Gallen's themes expands, he turns to the Karelian Finnish national epic "Kalevala" and creates a number of works on the themes of the epic (triptych "The Legend of Aino", 1891, Helsinki, Ateneum; "The Abduction of Sampo", 1896, Turku, Museum of Art; ", 1897, Helsinki, Ateneum, "Jokahainen's Revenge", 1903, etching). More and more carried away by the fantasy and heroism of the Kalevala, Gallen began to search for new stylistic devices to express rational specifics, but these searches led him to the modernist stylization characteristic of the art of the early 20th century. Gradually, in his work, interest in the big topic of folk life is decreasing. The combination of mysticism and naturalism marked his frescoes in the funerary chapel of Yuselius in Pori (1901-1903). There are features of modernism in the murals of the Finnish pavilion at the World Exhibition in Paris in 1900. Throughout his long career, Gallen created many landscapes, portraits, worked as an illustrator (illustrations for the novel "Seven Brothers" by Alexis Kivi); not everything in his legacy can be accepted unconditionally, but in his best works of different years, created before the period of enthusiasm for modernism and in the 20s, we find genuine realistic power, deep nationality, giving the right to consider Gallen-Kallela a great national artist, who brought glory to their country; it was not for nothing that M. Gorky valued him so highly, who corresponded with him for many years.

Helena Schjerfbeck (1862-1946), who received her artistic education in St. Petersburg, was also a talented artist. Her painting The Recovering Child (1888; Helsinki, Ateneum) belongs to the best achievements of realistic Finnish painting. But with the spread at the end of the 19th century. modernism in Finland Schjerfbeck, like many of her colleagues, moves away from realism. The work of Juho Simberg (1873-1917), marked by features of mysticism and symbolism, was also contradictory. The influence of modernism also left its mark on the work of the very democratic artist Juho Rissanen (1879-1950).

At the beginning of the new century, formalist tendencies intensified in the art of Finland. A departure from realistic national traditions begins, a retreat from the tasks of democratic art. In 1912, the Septem group appeared, the ideological head of which was Magnus Enkel (1870-1925); it included V. Tome, M. Oinonen and others. In 1916, headed by Tyukko Sallinen (1879-1955), another large group was created - "November". The artists who were part of these groups, to the detriment of the content of art, were fond of the problems of light and color (“Septem”) or strove for a distorted, deformed image of reality (“November”). One of the most significant recent groupings is the Prism group, which arose in 1956 and brings together artists working in a variety of manners. This includes Sigrid Schaumann (b. 1877), Ragnar Eklund (1892-1960) - representatives of the older generation of painters, as well as Sam Vanni (b. 1908), working mainly in an abstract manner, and others.

From the end of the 50s. Abstractionism captures all large circles of Finnish artists. But along with this, a number of painters, such as Lennart Segerstrode (b. 1892), Sven Grönvall (b. 1908), Eva Sederström (b. 1909), Eero Nelimarkka (b. 1891) and others, continue to work in realistic traditions.

A significant place in the art of Finland is occupied by graphics, the flowering of which in the 19th century was associated with the names of Gallen-Kallela, A. Edelfelt, J. Simberg. Today, the successors of the best democratic traditions in the graphic arts of Finland are Erkki Tanttu (b. 1917), Lennart Segerstrole, Vilho Askola (b. 1906) and other masters. Despite the difference in creative manners and genres in which they work, they are united by the desire to show the concrete life of today's Finland, love for the common man. L. Segerstrole, a representative of the older generation of graphic artists, devotes his sheets “The Seal Hunters” (1938), “After the Storm” (1938, drypoint) to the theme of labor, they are imbued with sympathy for the simple working person. E. Tanttu sings about the beauty of labor in his engravings "Forest being carried" (1954), "Rafters" (1955), etc. E. Tanttu. His sheets are distinguished by a monumental interpretation of the image of a person and a poetic image of native nature. The beauty and severity of the Finnish landscape is conveyed in his graphic works "Winter Morning" (1956), "Lake in Lappi-Ebi" (1958) by V. Askola.

A remarkable master of book illustration is Tapio Tapiovaara (b. 1908), the author of graphic sheets on acute social topics (“Events in Kemi in 1949”, 1950).

A significant place in the artistic life of Finland is occupied by widely developed sculpture. The first teachers of Finnish sculptors were Swedish masters. The founder of Finnish sculpture is Karl Eneas Sjöstrand (1828-1906), who arrived in 1856 in the then capital of Finland - Turku. He was invited to create a monument to H. G. Portan, the largest collector of the Finnish epic; This monument still enjoys well-deserved recognition to this day. At the same time, he became interested in the Kalevala epic and performed a number of works on the themes of the epic (Kullervo Speaks His Saber, 1867; Helsinki, Hesperia Park). Sjostrand is known not only as an artist, but above all as a master who organized his own school. The realist traditions of this school can be traced back to the beginning of the 20th century.

Among his students were such famous Finnish sculptors as Walter Runenberg (1836-1920) and Johannes Takkanen (1849-1885). These masters were representatives of two lines of development of Finnish sculpture. Having started their art education with Sjöstrand, they continued it in Copenhagen and Rome, but their fates turned out differently. For the son of a famous Finnish poet, close to the ruling Swedish circles, Walter Runenberg, the path to art was simple and easy. Both in his homeland and in Paris, where he settled from the mid-1870s, his classic portraits and monuments, full of outward pathos and idealization, enjoyed success (“Psyche with the Eagle of Jupiter”, 1875, marble, Helsinki. Ateneum allegorical sculpture “ Sad Finland", 1883, bronze). But, despite the success and official orders, this master classicist did nothing for the development of Finnish national sculpture - he only introduced it into the mainstream of the Roman academic school of that time, it was much more difficult for Johannes Takkanen, the son of a poor peasant. The talented sculptor, forced to struggle with poverty all his short life (he died 36 years old in Rome, almost a beggar, among people who could not even understand the last words of the dying man), failed to achieve recognition. Takkanen could not reveal his talent - to apply his strength to the implementation of monumental sculptures. But even those small figurines that have survived testify to the great and original talent of the master. Takkanen was rightly called a singer of female beauty, his figurines are full of lyricism and softness (“Chained Andromeda”, 1882; “Aino” - a motif from Kalevala, 1876; both - Helsinki, Ateneum).

Simplicity, naturalness, national types and images - all this looked too bold and unusual for classic Rome. Takkanen did not receive support from his homeland. This is how Finland lost its first national artist.

In the 1880-1890s. sculpture becomes one of the leading genres in Finland. Monuments to major figures are erected in cities, park sculptures and reliefs are created to decorate public and private buildings. The main focus of all monumental sculpture was the promotion of national ideas; It was during these decades that the artistic orientation of Finnish sculptors and the paths that modern Finnish sculpture will follow are most clearly defined. The salon-traditional line was very clearly represented by the work of Wille Wallgren (1855-1940). Emil Wikström (1864-1942) was the brightest master developing the folk traditions of Finnish sculpture.

Wallgren settled in Paris around 1880. Small genre figurines of Wallgren (Maryatta, 1886, marble, Turku, Museum of Art; Echo, 1887, marble; Spring, 1895, gold, both - Helsinki, Ateneum, and etc.). His works are characterized by artsy decorativeness, sensuality, and often sugariness. In the late 1890s he begins to get carried away by elongated proportions, a sinuous contour line. Over the years, he increasingly manifests a gravitation towards decorativeness and literature. When Wallgren tried to depict his coquettish girls in monumental forms (Havis Amanda Fountain in Helsinki, 1908), he failed, as he was a master of small forms.

Unlike Wallgren, Emil Wikström only in the 1890s. pays tribute to French salon virtuosity (The Dream of Innocence, 1891; Helsinki, Ateneum). Already in the 1900s. his art matures him. The history and modernity of Finland become the main themes of his works. The processing of the material is also changing, some pretentiousness gives way to a strong plastic form. This is one of his central works - a frieze on the main facade of the House of Representatives of the Seimas (1902, Helsinki). This grandiose composition, made in bronze, consists of allegorical scenes telling about the history of the Finnish people, their work and the struggle for independence. Wikström is also known as a master of portrait and monumental sculpture. In 1886, he completed a successful portrait of the painter Gallen-Kallela (bronze, Helsinki, Ateneum), in 1902 - a monument to the collector of the Kalevala epic Lönnrot (Helsinki), the composition "Wood Rafters". One of his last works was a monument to I. V. Snellman (1923, Helsinki). The monumental and portrait works of Wikström are characterized by deep realism, the ability to find the most characteristic, typical in the person being portrayed.

Wikström's student was Emil Halonen (1875-1950), who revived the folk traditions of woodcarving. He owns numerous pine reliefs ("The Deer Buster", 1899), sculptures in wood ("Young Girl", 1908; both works - Helsinki, Ateneum). The most interesting work of Halonen was the reliefs for the Finnish pavilion at the World Exhibition in Paris in 1900 (Helsinki, Ateneum), made in a somewhat archaic manner, imitating folk woodcarving; simply and concisely they reproduced scenes of folk life. The woodcarving techniques developed by Halonen were continued and developed by sculptors such as Albin Kaasinen (b. 1892) and Hannes Autere (b. 1888), creators of scenes from folk life, telling about their contemporaries with great humor and skill.

In 1910, on the initiative of Felix Nylund (1878-1940), the Union of Finnish Sculptors was created, which played a major organizing role. The early work of Nylund himself is characterized by a desire for a generalized plastic form while maintaining interest in the psychological characteristics of the model. Particularly good are his children's portraits (Erwin, 1906, marble; Helsinki, Ateneum), which are distinguished by freshness and warmth. Later, Nylund, like most artists of the older generation, became interested in modernist trends and moved away from realism.

The tenth and twenties were marked in Finnish art by a gravitation towards expressionism, and then towards abstractionism. The search for "self-sustaining volume", "pure form", etc., begins, and only a few sculptors manage to resist these alien influences. Among them, one should first of all name the largest modern realist sculptor who brought world fame to Finland - Väinö Aaltonen (b. 1894).

Aaltonen received his artistic education at the drawing school in Turku under the guidance of V. Westerholm. The school produced painters, but contrary to the assumptions of his teachers, Aaltonen became a sculptor. The art of sculpture attracted him from childhood, it was his vocation. Aaltonen is the master who is said in Finland to have awakened granite rocks from eternal sleep. Black and red granite became Aaltonen's favorite material. The range of this artist is unusually wide: he created a huge portrait gallery of contemporaries, park sculptures and statues of athletes, tombstones and monumental reliefs that adorn government and public buildings, chamber sculpture made of wood and terracotta, oil paintings and tempera on the themes of "Kalevala". Already the early works of Aaltonen - a series of so-called "Maids" ("Wandering Girl", 1917-1922, granite; "Seated Young Girl", 1923-1925, granite; all in private collections) - aroused the public's interest with their great lyricism, warmth and poetry in the depiction of a naked female body and the extraordinary softness of the processing of the material. In the same years, Aaltonen was also occupied with the theme of the naked male body, and he created one of his masterpieces - the statue of the runner Paavo Nurmi (1924-1925, bronze; Helsinki); the lightness, confidence and freedom of a strong, muscular body are perfectly conveyed by the sculptor. Barely touching the pedestal with his foot, Nurmi seems to be flying forward.

Aaltonen began to engage in portrait art in his youth and continues to work in this genre to this day. He can be considered one of the creators of modern Finnish sculptural portraiture. His art is based on a deep penetration into the inner world of the person portrayed and a strict selection of the elements that make up the characteristics of the model.

Among the best portrait works of Aaltonen is the portrait of the writer Maria Jotuni (1919, marble; private collection) with a kind, slightly sad face; the stern, full of strength and dignity head of V. Westerholm (1925, granite; private collection) conveys the deep concentration of the teacher Aaltonen. Beautiful portraits of the composer Jean Sibelius (1935, marble; Pori, Sibelius House Museum), whose mighty head seems to grow out of a stone block, and the poet Aarro Hellaakoski (1946, bronze; private collection), where the ultimate laconism of forms and means of expression does not interfere recreating the appearance of this disillusioned friend of his youth, Aaltonen.

Of great interest are the monumental works of Aaltonen. His naked figures on the bridge in Tampere (1927-1929, bronze) are deeply national in their interpretation of images. Beautiful in her strict restraint is the heroine of Kalevala, Maryatta (1934, bronze; property of the author): a young woman in a dress falling to the ground stands, holding her child high in her arms, her gaze is full of sadness and tenderness, the outlines of her slender silhouette are smooth. The monument to Alexis Kivi (1934, bronze) in Helsinki recreates the sad image of the great Finnish writer, who died early in poverty without receiving recognition during his lifetime. Bitter thoughts overwhelm a man sitting in deep thought, his head drooped, his hands fell helplessly to his knees. Strict forms of a very compact monument fit well into the ensemble of the city.

Among the monumental reliefs of Aaltonen, the monument in honor of the first Finnish settlers in Delaware (Canada; 1938, red granite) occupies a special place - this is perhaps one of the most national in spirit of his works. The monument is a slab, the longitudinal sides of which are decorated with reliefs. The relief "Farewell to the native shore" is especially good. Far in the sea, the outlines of a ship are visible, and in the foreground, near the rocky shore, the mourners froze in stern silence; in a few minutes, the boat will take the daredevils to the ship going to unknown countries in search of a better life. Always avoiding pathos, effects and sudden movements, Aaltonen chose the moment when all the words had already been said - there was a moment of silence. The extreme lapidarity of the plastic solution of the relief is opposed by the clear elaboration of the contour drawing of the figures.

We find this national specificity both in types and in the interpretation of images in Aaltonen's paintings and graphic works, such as "Kullervo" (1930-1940, tempera), in the poetic "Return from the evening milking" (1939, drawing; both are the property of author).

The themes of peace and friendship between peoples, the solidarity of workers are close and dear to Aaltonen. By 1952, the bronze monument "Friendship" dates back to, symbolizing the friendship between the Finnish city of Turku and the Swedish city of Gothenburg (monuments were erected in both cities). A great contribution to the cause of peace was Aaltonen's sculpture "Peace" in Lahti (1950-1952, granite), depicting the world in the form of a monumental figure of a woman with her arms raised high, as if blocking the way to war. For this sculpture in 1954 Aaltonen was awarded a gold medal by the World Peace Council.

Despite the fact that in recent decades abstractionism as an official trend has taken a fairly strong place in Finnish sculpture, a large group of young artists, innovatively developing the realistic foundations of art in both portrait and monumental sculpture, does not allow abstractionists to take a leading place. Among the realist masters one should name such major artists as Essi Renvall (b. 1911) and Aimo Tukiyainen (b. 1917). Essi Renvall is an artist of subtle, lyrical talent, she owns many portraits of her contemporaries (“Onni Okkonen”, bronze), her children's images are especially attractive. In addition to portraits, Renvall also creates generalized images of ordinary people (“Textile Woman”, bronze; park in Tampere). Renvall works in marble and bronze, and recently, to enhance the expressiveness, he uses inlaid with colored stones and metal. Aimo Tukiyainen creates monumentally interpreted portraits (Portrait of Tovio Pekkanen, 1956, bronze) and monuments (Monument to Eet Salin, 1955, bronze); this monument, set in the middle of the pool, depicts a weary man in work clothes kneeling to wash the dust from his face.

The medal art of Finland, which has flourished in recent decades, is largely devoted to the struggle for the strengthening of peace. The medals of Aaltonen, Gerda Kvist (b. 1883) and other masters, dedicated to outstanding contemporaries and events, are surprisingly thin, harmonious and plastic.

The nineties of the 19th century were marked by a decisive turning point in the development of Finnish architecture, which, moving away from the traditional classicistic academism, embarked on the path of searching in the spirit of a new national-romantic trend. The attention to Finnish and Karelian folk architecture characteristic of this period was associated with the growth of national identity and at the same time echoed the trend in the use of local materials, which manifested itself in Western European (especially English and Swedish) architecture. In the last decade of the 19th century, the studies of the architects J. Blomsted and V. Suksdorf (“Karelian buildings and decorative forms”, 1900), the works of Finnish artists celebrating the peculiar beauty of this northern country, the music of Jan Sibedius (symphonic the poem "Finland", the legend "Tuonel Swan", "Spring Song"), drawing pictures of the harsh nature of the region.

In this atmosphere, a galaxy of outstanding Finnish architects is formed, among which the most prominent place is occupied by Lare Sonk, Herman Geselius, Armas Lindgren and especially Eliel Saarinen (1873-1950). Sonck was one of the first to use log buildings and rough stone masonry in these years to achieve a special expressiveness of the architecture of national romanticism. His cathedral in Tampere (1902-1907) received wide and well-deserved fame due to the emotionality of the image, the strength and harmony of the idea.

At the World Exhibition in Paris in 1900, the Finnish pavilion, created by Geselius, Lindgren and Saarinen, was widely recognized, which stood out against the backdrop of a mass of eclectic and overloaded buildings with its simplicity and compositional clarity. One of the most striking works of this period is a residential building in Vtreska, built for themselves by a group of architects in 1902. The building is distinguished by exceptional monumentality, picturesque composition of the masses and organically merges with the surrounding nature. In this building, the free planning of the premises and the use of the expressive possibilities of wood and granite are brought to a high degree of perfection.

Of great importance for the Finnish architecture of this period, as the Finnish architects themselves admit, was the connection with contemporary Russian artistic culture, in which in those years there was a widespread interest in mastering the traditions of folk architecture, applied art, folklore ( This influence was determined by the existence of close cultural ties between Russian and Finnish art. In particular, Eliel Saarinen was a full member of the St. Petersburg Academy of Arts and maintained constant contacts with such figures of Russian culture as M. Gorky, I. Grabar, N. Roerich and others.).

By the end of the first decade of the 20th century in Finland, a new direction is emerging, close in character to Russian modernism, but differing from it in great conciseness and restraint. Eliel Saarinen is also the largest master here. In his projects of the Peace Palace in The Hague (1905), the Finnish Diet (1908), the town hall in Tallinn (1912) and especially in the completed project of the railway station in Helsinki (1904-1914), Saarinen's favorite method of opposing a massive tower and a heavy horizontal volume is being developed, serving as an unshakable foundation for her. This theme reaches its apogee in the project of the House-Museum of National Culture, known as the Kalevala Houses in Munkkiniemi (1921), where the building, beautiful in its design and proportional structure, with its heaviness of its forms, resembles a fortress structure, created as if by processing the top of a granite rock. The image of a public building developed by Saarinen is somewhat harsh and gloomy, but it is uniquely original and organically connected with the national features of Finnish architecture.

Saarinen's first town-planning works also belong to this period (Canberra competition project, 1912; Munkkiniemi-Haaga master plan, 1910-1915), in which the desire for maximum monumentalization of large urban complexes is combined with emerging new ideas about the body of the settlement and the differentiation of its individual parts. .

The end of the First World War and the granting of state independence to Finland on the initiative of V. I. Lenin was marked in the field of architecture by a number of major urban development works. The most significant of these was the Greater Helsinki project (1918), which made Eliel Saarinen one of the recognized authorities in world urban planning. The project carried out the differentiation of the residential areas of the capital and the decentralization of settlement in satellite cities with a consistency that no one had achieved before. The author made excellent use of suburban areas, indented by lakes and bays, to localize individual residential complexes, organically integrated into nature.

In the 20-30s. in Finland, a number of large and architecturally significant public and commercial buildings are being built. The parliament building stands out among them (1931, architect I. Siren). It is characteristic that this building is sustained in balanced, strict forms of neoclassicism, which preserved until the 1930s. strong position in Finland.

Interesting and more modern in its forms was built in Helsinki in 1926-1931. another prominent representative of Finnish architecture, Sigurd Frosterus, Stockman department store. Its external forms reflected the monumentalism inherent in Finnish architecture of that time. The interiors of the department store, built on the basis of a reinforced concrete frame, received a large, wide open and freely organized retail space, characteristic of new buildings of this type.

From the 30s. 20th century The leading figure in Finnish architecture is Alvar Aalto (b. 1898), a talented architect who came from a forester's family and later won, like Eliel Saarinen, world fame and became one of the largest architects of our time. In 1929-1933. A. Aalto is building a tuberculosis sanatorium in Paimio in southwestern Finland, entirely designed in the spirit of European functionalism and at the same time distinguished by local originality - exceptional purity and freshness of its architectural forms, free composition of volumes, organic connection with the relief and wooded landscape of the region. Along with the Bauhaus building in Dessau by W. Gropius and the works of Le Corbusier, this building is one of the most famous and landmark in the development of modern architecture. Another work of A. Aalto, as well as the sanatorium in Paimio, deservedly considered one of the best European buildings of the 30s, was the library building in Vyborg. It draws attention to the carefully thought-out functional basis of the plan, the truthfulness of the external appearance of the building and great emotional expressiveness. In the lecture hall of the library, a special wooden acoustic ceiling of a curvilinear shape was used, which gave the interior an originality and a new shape for those years.

The merit of Aalto in this and in a number of other buildings was that, perceiving the rationalistic basis of constructivism and using it on Finnish soil, he opposed its limitations from the very beginning and began to develop the aesthetic principles of a new direction, to search for its artistic language. Aalto noted that "technical functionalism cannot be the only one in architecture" and that one of the important tasks of modern architecture "is to solve psychological problems." Other significant works by A. Aalto include the Finnish pavilion at the International Exhibition in New York, Mairea's villa in Noormarku, and the woodworking factory in Sunil (1936-1939). In the latest work, Aalto also acts as a city planner: he creates not only a complex of industrial facilities, but also a residential settlement for workers, continuing the best traditions of Finnish architecture - taking into account and careful use of the natural environment.

New features in the architecture of public buildings are introduced by Eric Brugmann (1891-1955). He is the first in the Scandinavian countries to widely open the interior with the help of a glass stained-glass window into the surrounding space (the chapel in Turku, 1938-1941), seeking to create a new artistic effect and a new unity of architecture and nature.

A major construction of this period was also the Olympic Complex in Helsinki, which includes an excellent stadium (1934-1952, architects Irjo Lindgren and Toivo Jantti) and the Olympic Village (architects X. Eklund and M. Välikangas), which became the first satellite city of the Finnish capital.

After the Second World War, the Finnish economy quickly stabilized thanks to expanding trade relations with the Soviet Union, and Finnish architects were able to start implementing a number of previously only outlined urban planning ideas and mass construction. Their largest and most significant work, which received a great response, was the construction of the garden city of Tapiola, 9 km from Helsinki ( The authors of Tapiola: architects O, Meyerman and I. Siltavuori (general plan), A. Blomstead, V. Revell, M. Tavio, A. Ervi, K. and X. Siren, T. Nironen and others. Construction has been carried out by a specially created housing cooperative since 1952.). During the construction of Tapiola, the architects sought to overcome the separation of man from nature, which is characteristic of large capitalist cities. The city for 15 thousand inhabitants was built among natural greenery on a rugged terrain with outcrops of the mainland granite base and covers an area of ​​more than 230 hectares. Particular attention is paid to the protection of wildlife and picturesque, almost untouched landscapes. Characteristically, residential development occupies only 25 percent of the land, while free green spaces - 75 percent. In fact, here it is not green spaces interspersed with urban development, but houses - in a natural forest mass, applying in their location to existing groups of trees, topography, rock ledges and sunlight conditions. The network of asphalt roads, laid in picturesque strips along the differences in the natural surface of the earth, has been reduced to the necessary minimum.

The center of Tapiola (1954-1962, architect Aarne Ervi) is characteristic of new ideas for building an urban ensemble. Free and at the same time clearly differentiated space is well organized in it, dynamic contrasts of architectural verticals and spread, horizontal volumes are created, pedestrian and transport routes are separated. The public principle here is combined with some intimacy, regular motifs - with picturesqueness (for example, the clear geometricity of the square paved with slabs near commercial buildings is enlivened by groups of trees preserved in the places where they grew in freedom before construction began). The structure of residential complexes in Tapiola takes into account the needs of various groups of the population: by age composition and marital status. Along with this (and this is typical of the entire practice of capitalist urban planning), there is a differentiation of building according to the social status and material security of citizens. In accordance with this, various types of buildings were used - from 8-11-storey tower houses to 1-2-storey semi-detached cottages.

Tapiola has developed a number of interesting new types of public buildings, such as the pavilion-type school designed by the architects Kaja and Heikki Siren. The building of Mennin-kaisentie Street, carried out by the architect A. Blomsted, is peculiar in its architecture. The street passes at the foot of a granite massif, on which a group of multi-storey buildings is located. On the other side, there is a chain of semi-detached houses facing the forest and lakes. The rhythm of alternating, geometrically simple, one- and two-story volumes, stretched out at the turn between the lawn and the forest, the contrasts of light smooth walls and glass stained-glass windows, the variety in the color of the Buildings, the candles of pine trees, between which a row of buildings is laid - all this creates diverse, exceptionally expressive and picturesque architectural and spatial composition.

rice. on page 319

It should be noted that in addition to Tapiola, a number of other noteworthy residential areas and complexes were built in post-war Finland.

Finnish architects have also achieved notable successes in the construction of public and administrative buildings. In 1958, A. Aalto built the House of Culture in Helsinki for workers' organizations, in which he used a free combination of organically developing volumes and curvilinear brick planes. The asymmetrically located amphitheater is distinguished not only by the freshness of its forms, but also by its excellent acoustics, making it one of the best halls of this type in Europe. The same author owns the excellent building of social insurance institutions in Helsinki (1952), in which the architect sought to overcome the official spirit of such buildings, the complex of buildings of the municipal council in Säjunyatealo (1956), which is essentially the center of the microdistrict and includes a number of elements of public service, administrative the building of the firm "Rautatalo", lined with copper and bronze. It should be noted that Finnish architects widely use sheet and profiled metal facades (copper, bronze, anodized and plain aluminum), which gives their buildings a peculiar expressiveness.

One of the largest educational institutions built after the war is the Workers' Institute in Turku (1958, architect A. Ervi), in which the architect used the contrasts of a freely organized surrounding space and the clear geometrism of buildings grouped around a yard paved with slabs with a rectangular pool and a sculptural group . In schools and other educational buildings, Finnish architects widely use universal halls and auditoriums, using systems of sliding partitions, mechanically retractable amphitheater benches, creating the opportunity to vary the nature of the interior space, room capacity, etc. in different ways.

rice. on page 321.

Everywhere, the main features of modern Finnish architecture remain simplicity and expediency, great emotional expressiveness, tactful use of color, the use of natural and traditional local materials in Finland (wood, granite) and - most importantly - the ability to organically fit into the natural environment, to use all the possibilities that the microrelief, the abundance of lakes, the indentation of the coast, the picturesque and virgin nature of the forest region suggests to the architect. This last feature is clearly seen not only in residential and public, but also in most industrial buildings, which, like the power plant on the Oulun-Yoki River (1949, architect A. Ervi), naturally grow from a granite rocky base surrounded by slender and slightly gloomy pines. .

It should be noted, however, that the limited scope of construction practically did not provide the necessary economic base for industrial, typed mass construction production. The main buildings are made according to individual projects. Only prefabricated one-story wooden houses, intended mainly for rural areas, are manufactured by industrial methods at special house-building factories.

Finnish architects use the synthesis of arts very restrainedly, limiting themselves, as a rule, only to painting houses, which is done with great skill. In urban architectural ensembles, decorative and memorial sculpture is found, elements of arts and crafts and small architectural forms are used with a great sense of tact.

Finnish artist Berndt Lindholm (1841-1914).

Berndt Adolf Lindholm Berndt Adolf Lindholm, (Loviisa 20 August 1841 – 15 May 1914 in Gothenburg, Sweden) was a Finnish painter, is also considered one of the first Finnish impressionists. Lindholmwas also the first Scandinavian artist to go to study in Paris. PHe received his first drawing lessons in Porvoo from the artist Johan Knutson, and then transferred to the Finnish Art Society School of Drawing in Turku. In 1856-1861. he is a student of Ekman.1863-1865 Lindholm continued his studies abroad at the Düsseldorf Art Academy.He left Germany and together with ( Hjalmar Munsterhelm) Magnus Hjalmar Munsterhjelm (1840-1905)(Thulos October 19, 1840 - April 2, 1905) returned to his homeland in Karlsruhe (1865-1866), where he began to take private lessons fromHans Fredrik Gude (1825-1903)and then went twice to Paris in 1873-1874, where his teacher was Leon Bonnat. In Franceclosely communicated with the Barbizon Charles-Francois Daubigny.He also appreciated the work of Theodore Rousseau, and admired the work of Jean-Baptiste Camille Corot.The first solo exhibition was held in Helsinki in the autumn of 1870, where Lindholm was highly acclaimed. In 1873, the Academy of Arts was given the title of academician for the painting "Forest in the province of Savolas" and others., in 1876 he was awarded a medal at the World's Fair in Philadelphia; in 1877 he was awarded the Finnish State Prize. Lindholmlived mostly abroad. In 1876 he moved to Gothenburg and worked as a museum curator (1878-1900). He also taught at the Gothenburg School of Drawing and Painting, then was elected president of the Academy of Fine Arts and a member of the Royal Swedish Academy..He was more versatile than his artist friend and rival Magnus Hjalmar Munsterhelm who remained faithful to the romantic landscape all his life.Initially, Lindholm also painted typical romantic landscapes, and then, under the influence of French plein air painting, he gradually becomes close to realism. By the end of his career, he switched only to coastal and seascapes. It is also known that Lindholm participated in the illustration of the book by Zacharias Topelius - (Zacharias Topelius, 1818-1898) - one of the most remarkable representatives of Finnish literature. Poet, novelist, storyteller, historian and publicist - he deserved love and recognition, both at home and far beyond its borders. Topelius wrote in Swedish, although he was also fluent in Finnish. Topelius' works have been translated into more than twenty languages. He possessed an unusually multifaceted talent and amazing capacity for work, the complete collection of his works includes thirty-four volumes. (Z. Topelius. Journey through Finland. Published by F. Tilgman, 1875. Translated from Swedish F. Heuren. Contains many engravings from original paintings by A. von Becker, A. Edelfelt, R. V. Ekman, V. Holmberg, K.E. Janson, O. Kleine, I. Knutson, B. Lindholm, G. Munstergelm and B. Reingold). Lindholm's 10 illustrations are dedicated to the Imatra waterfall. In Finland, the works of the artist during his stay in France were not fully appreciated, almost all of them are in private collections.

rocky beach . Further... ">

Rocks illuminated by the sun.

Edge of a pine forest.

Forest landscape with a figure of a woodcutter.

The river that flows through rocky area

Oat harvest.

Coastline

Winter landscape in the moonlight

View from the coast.

Boats on the pier

Stacks.

Landscape with birches

Seascape.

Seascape.

View of the rocks.

Yearning

sunshine in forest.

View of Ladoga.

Fishermen in the morning mist

Ships on the horizon.

Montmarte, Paris.

From the island of Porvoo

Cows in the pasture

Interest in art in developed countries remains relevant at all times!
In Finland, contemporary art continues to develop and attracts many fans with its boldness, self-sufficiency and, of course, unique national techniques.
Today, just like many years ago, Finnish contemporary art shows a special connection between Finns and nature. Scandinavian design beckons with its simplicity and natural notes. The theme of interaction between a person and all living things that surrounds him, in Finnish contemporary art, still occupies a key place. Finnish artists, photographers, designers continue to draw inspiration for their work from the truly alive and fundamental: man, nature, beauty, music.

The correspondent of the cultural and information portal Finmaa met with a well-known Finnish contemporary artist, Kaarina Helenius, and tried to find out how and how a contemporary artist lives in Finland.

Finmaa:— What does contemporary art mean in Finland today?
- I would characterize contemporary art as works made with the help of other, new techniques. Old tricks can also be used, but with a new look at old things.

Finmaa:— How much is contemporary art in demand, if we talk about the interest in it from a real buyer? Can you make a living doing this in Finland?
— Contemporary art is in high demand in Finland. Finns are especially interested in the work of young artists. However, there are not many artists in Finland who make a living from art alone. Usually, the artist has a professional education and performs other types of work in parallel. For example, I am a graphic designer. I have my own advertising agency and during the day I work in my office. I like to do both, so I enjoy doing two types of work.

Finmaa:— You live and work in Hämeenlinna. What do you think is the right atmosphere for creativity in this city or in Finland in general?
— Hämeenlinna is a small city that is conveniently located in relation to other cultural cities in Finland. From here it is easy to get to Helsinki or Tampere. Hämeenlinna is a very calm city, it is safe to live here and it is easy to be creative. For example, my studio, where I draw my paintings, is located on the territory of the former barracks. It has a very quiet and peaceful atmosphere, beautiful nature and a great place for walking.

Finmaa:— What inspires you in your work? How are the images of your paintings born?
-I am inspired by music, fashion and nature. I create all the pictures in my head, and when I start drawing, I already know what should happen.

Finmaa:— How long does one job take, are your paintings easy for you or is it really difficult and painstaking work?
One painting takes about 2-4 weeks. I use oil paints, which I apply with strokes on the material. I draw all the images first in my head, there are a lot of ideas. If there are human images in my work, then I invite real people and make sketches from nature, and then, based on the sketch, I begin to draw a picture. I try to draw the sketch as best as possible, as time is always limited. I work in my atelier in the evenings after my main job and on weekends.

Finmaa:- You draw nature, is this direction more in demand today or is it your self-expression?
— In my work, I do not try to create fashionable paintings or focus on naked people. I always want to show feelings or events. Man is only part of the idea.

Finmaa: How did you get interested in drawing? Where did you start?
— I have a professional art education. I studied at an art school in the city of Hyvinkää. I also have a background in commerce and graphic design.
I fell in love with drawing by accident at the age of 18. I liked this occupation, and I went to study as a professional artist. A little later, I realized that I like this occupation and I want to work seriously in this area. After art school, I studied graphic design, which I also really liked. In Finland it is difficult to be just an artist, despite the support from the state. Thus began my career in the arts. Later, I had my own exhibitions, which were held in different cities of Finland.

Finmaa:— What difficulties does an artist or designer face in their work in Finland?
— In Finland, artists can count on financial support from the state, but this is not enough for a normal life. The economic situation in the country also affects the sale of paintings.

Finmaa:- What are you working on now?
– Now I am painting pictures for my next exhibition, which will be held in Russia, in the city of St. Petersburg, in May 2016. I am also planning several exhibitions in Finland for 2016 and 2017.

Finmaa: What else do you like to do in your free time? Do you have a hobby?
— I have almost no free time, but I love jogging and sometimes I go to the gym.

Finmaa:- Do you like to travel? Did you manage to visit Russia and in which city? What did you like and remember?
— The first time I managed to visit Russia was in March 2015. Then I lived in the House-Finland on Bolshaya Konyushennaya Street. I really liked this city and I came a second time, already in September. I really like Russian national cuisine. People in St. Petersburg are also very friendly and welcoming. I am very interested in contemporary art and design by young Russian artists. St. Petersburg has many design centers, exhibition galleries and fashion stores. I don't speak Russian, I only know a few words, but I would like to learn this language. I have not been to other Russian cities yet, but I am ready to come to St. Petersburg again and again!

Finmaa:— If you have a dream?
— I really want to continue doing what I love and create new projects. I recently worked on the design of a line of silver jewelry for a Finnish company. The project was very successful and I look forward to further work in this area.

Finmaa, 2016.
Hämeenlinna, Finland