A new book to present Akseli Gallen-Kallela as an influential European artist

“Prior to this, the Ateneum has not had an up-to-date book on the artist. Although Gallen-Kallela’s art is seen to embody a specific national character, its underlying premises are nevertheless international and modern. International interest in the artist has also grown in recent years”, says the acting museum director and chief curator at the Ateneum, Sointu Fritze.

The author, Marja Lahelma, positions Akseli Gallen-Kallela as an influential European artist alongside his contemporaries, such as Edvard Munch. Lahelma also writes about the exhibition staged at the National Gallery in London in 2017, which presented all four versions of Gallen-Kallela's painting Lake Keitele. According to Lahelma, the exhibition “brought to the fore the universal dimension connected to European art history”.

Marja Lahelma will give a lecture on the artist as part of the Ateneum’s Stories of Finnish Art lecture series on Wednesday 26 September at 17:00. The lecture will be held at the Ateneum Hall, and admission is included in the museum entrance fee, or with a Museum Card. In Finnish.

The Artists of the Ateneum book series will also be covered on the Helsinki Book Fair’s Esplanade stage on Sunday 28 October from 14:30 to 15:00. The books will be discussed by Marja Lahelma and the Ateneum Art Museum special researcher, Anu Utriainen. In Finnish.

Akseli Gallen-Kallela known especially for his Kalevala-themed works

Akseli Gallen-Kallela (1865–1931)was an original and prolific artist. During his lifetime, Finland became independent and evolved into an urbanised and industrialised nation. Gallen-Kallela is known especially for his Kalevala-themed works, in which he explores the universal dimensions of the tales in the Finnish national epic. The young talent, who had his sights set on an international career, led a Bohemian, cosmopolitan life with his artist friends.

The Ateneum Art Museum is part of the Finnish National Gallery, and its collection includes more than 450 works by Akseli Gallen-Kallela. The artist’s most famous works include the Aino Myth (1891), Démasquée (1888), Lemminkäinen’s Mother (1897), Kullervo Cursing (1899)and Boy with a Crow (1884), all of which are currently on display at the Stories of Finnish Art exhibition at the Ateneum. The Finnish National Gallery’s archive collection also includes the artist’s photographs and letters.

The Artists of the Ateneum book series sheds new light on some of the classics of Finnish art. Previously published titles in the series have presented Helene Schjerfbeck (2016) and Hugo Simberg (2017). The graphic design of the book series is by Minna Luoma.

The book is available from 21 September 2018 from the museum shop at the Ateneum or the online shop at www.museoshop.fi. The book is also available for sale at well-stocked bookshops across Finland. The Artists of the Ateneum book costs €25 at the Ateneum.

Size: 236 x 165 mm, 96 pages. Paperback. Publisher: Finnish National Gallery, Ateneum Art Museum, Helsinki.

Opening hours
Tue, Fri 10am–6pm | Wed, Thu 10am–8pm | Sat, Sun 10am–5pm | Mon closed

Admission
Adults €15 | Concessions €13 | Under 18s free admission | with S-Etukortti card €14

Twitter: @AteneumMuseum | Facebook: AteneumArtMuseum | Instagram: ateneummuseum