Akseli Gallen-Kallela (birthname Axél Waldemar Gallén) was born on 26th of April 1865 in Pori, Finland. His represented national romaticism and realism in his work. The artist who studied in Paris first painted the bohemian life, but more and more Finnish nature, landscapes, and the people started to interest him. Also the mythology, the Finnish Epic "Kalevala" started to fascinate him. He created nationalist art, through which he portrayed the vitality of our culture and Finland's right to exist as a nation when the country was fighting against Russia. After Finland got its independence, Gallen-Kallela worked for a while as the President Mannerheim's adjutant and designed uniforms and other items for the military. In 1922 he began to design the Great Kalevala. He designed ornaments, typographs and illustrations for few years, but it was not until he visited Mexico and North America (Chicago) that it became clear to him how to portray the Finnish Epic, Kaleva. It was then that he discovered how he could illustrate the spirit within the poetry, how he would portray it through paintings and typographic methods. In 1931 he travelled to Copenhagen to lecture about his work and also to meet other Nordic artists. During the return back to Finland, 7th of 1931, he died in Stockholm.
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Ad Astra, 1894
The Aino Triptych
The Symposium
Démasquée, 1888
Boy And Crow
Spring, 1903
Kullervo's Curse
The Defence of the Sampo
The Fratricide, 1897
Sky (wall rug), 1900
Lemminkäinen's Mother*
This painting is quite special to me. It's illustrating the Finnish epic Kalevala. In this painting, Lemminkäinen's mother is praying at the side of her dead son. In 1999 (I think) as I was still studying fashion design, art history etc. we had to take one painting we liked and try to copy it as best as we could - this was done so we would learn about the technique of that particular artist. I decided to do a detail shot of this painting (Lemminkäinen's torso). I still think I did a pretty good copy of it. I still have that painting, so I'm adding it below.
This painting is quite special to me. It's illustrating the Finnish epic Kalevala. In this painting, Lemminkäinen's mother is praying at the side of her dead son. In 1999 (I think) as I was still studying fashion design, art history etc. we had to take one painting we liked and try to copy it as best as we could - this was done so we would learn about the technique of that particular artist. I decided to do a detail shot of this painting (Lemminkäinen's torso). I still think I did a pretty good copy of it. I still have that painting, so I'm adding it below.
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My detail copy (1999) of Gallen-Kallela's Lemminkäinen's Mother.
4 comments:
WOW! Thanks for this - I had never heard of this artist and I LOVE the work they're doing. I really like discovering new stuff to rave about!
Thanks for you comment. I'm glad you enjoyed the work of this artist. Also check out other posts under the label "this week's artist" - some work you will find you will recognize but I think you will also find something you haven't discovered yet. =) And more will come in the future of course!
Dear Kimmo,
I never heard of this artist. The work is moving and of course, your work shines through as always.
Take Care,
Stacey
Thanks Stacey! =)
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