Akseli Gallen-Kallela

A celebration of the work of Finnish national hero Akseli Gallen-Kallela and his depictions of Finland's people, myths and landscape.

Akseli Gallen-Kallela (1865-1931) was Finland's most famous progressive artist around 1900 and a major figure in international modern art. At the turn of the century, Finland was a grand duchy striving for independence from Russian rule. Gallen-Kallela's depictions of Finland's people, myths, and nature played a key role in forming a national identity. At the same time, his modern visual language, developed in constant dialogue between Finnish sources of inspiration and influences from artistic centres such as Paris, Berlin, London and Vienna, brought him international acclaim. This English-Finnish bilingual catalogue invites readers to explore these fascinating interactions in Gallen-Kallela's artistic engagement with his country and its people, the Finnish national epic Kalevala, the idea of the Gesamtkunstwerk (total work of art) and the Nordic landscape. The international dimension of Gallen-Kallela's art is showcased by shining a spotlight on his contributions to the Vienna Secession exhibitions of 1901/02 and 1904.

The catalogue accompanies an exhibition at the Belvedere, Vienna, in collaboration with the Ateneum Art Museum in Helsinki.