The Golden Age of Finnish art
At the turn of the century, during the period of National Romanticism, a new outpouring of creativity could be seen in all areas of the arts in Finland. This creativity took its inspiration from Finnish sources, above all the Kalevala. These works are still considered the cornerstones of Finnish art.
For example, poet Eino Leino, composer Jean Sibelius, painter Akseli Gallen-Kallela, sculptor Emil Wikström and architect Eliel Saarinen went to Karelia in search of the persons and primordial landscapes to use as models in their poetry, music and art. The world of the Kalevala was a symbol through which artists strove to convey the deepest experiences of humankind. The influence of the Kalevala on later works of art has been less noticeable, it has manifested itself more as an interest in ancient, mythical wilderness landscapes than as Kalevalaic themes per se.
The high point of Finnish National Romanticist art was the Finnish Pavilion designed by Eliel Saarinen for the World's Fair in Paris in 1900, for which Akseli Gallen-Kallela painted the ceiling frescoes with Kalevalaic themes. The building was dismantled after the exhibition, but the fresco sketches have been preserved. In 1928 Gallen-Kallela used the same themes in painting the ceiling frescoes in the vestibule of the National Museum.
The literary pearl of Finland's Golden Age was Eino Leino's collection of poems entitled Helkavirsiä, which appeared as two separate volumes in 1903 and 1916. In this collection, Karelianism and European symbolism are fused. The style is similar in both of the Helkävirsiä series, but the first collection features powerful, death-defying heroes, while in the second, various cosmic visions come to the fore.
The most significant sculptor of Kalevalaic themes was Emil Wikström. He brought the themes of the Kalevala to life in many of his public art works.
Originally, Kalevala metre poetry was performed by singing. Only after the Kalevala itself appeared in print did the poetry began to be recited. The fact that the Kalevala was sung and that its themes dealt with the fundamental questions of human existence have contributed to the fact that the Kalevala quickly became a significant source of inspiration for Finnish composers.
In 1890, Jean Sibelius was converted to Karelianism by the music of Robert Kajanus. He also received inspiration from meeting folk poetry singer Larin Paraske. The symphonic poem Kullervo, finished in 1892, was Sibelius' first composition with a Kalevalaic theme. He had already made a trip to Karelia that same year.
Quite soon after the publication of the Kalevala, the question of how the epic should be illustrated began to be discussed in Finland. Competitions were even organized for an illustrator, but in the opinions of the judges none of the candidates had captured the true spirit of the Kalevala in their artwork.
In 1891 another Kalevala illustration competition was organized, and this time Akseli Gallen-Kallela was quickly recognized as the most noteworthy illustrator of Kalevala themes. The characters and events of the Kalevala are still popularly perceived through the images he created.
Gallen-Kallela's first significant work of art based on the Kalevala was the Aino triptych from 1891. This work still has elements of realism, but later works reveal his own characteristic 'national' style, which is heavily nuanced with symbolism and even mysticism.
