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.
