Freeing the Finnish spirit

A major new international exhibition of paintings by Gallen-Kallela, Finland’s most important artist, has opened to the public in The Netherlands with the help of a Leeds art history lecturer.

Dr David Jackson, a specialist in Nordic and Russian art, spent two years working on Akseli Gallen-Kallela (1865-1931) - The Spirit of Finland as a guest curator and editor for the Groninger Museum. He also co-authored the accompanying book and catalogue.

The exhibition, which runs until April 15, features a series of paintings inspired by the epic poem Kalevala that brought Gallen-Kallela international fame and helped to shape the Finnish national identity.

“Gallen-Kallela’s colourful and dramatic works were responsible for fixing images of this dramatic land and its people in our minds forever,” he said.

Dr Jackson previously worked on the immensely popular Russian Landscape exhibition, shown at London‘s National Gallery and the Groninger Museum in 2004. He is now working on an exhibition of paintings by the Danish artist Christen Købke.

For details visit http://groningermuseum.nl

Photo: (Above) Symposium (1894) by Akseli Gallen-Kallela. Oil on canvas. ©Private Collection. From left, Axel Gallén, ‘a sleeping critic’, Robert Kajanus, and Jean Sibelius.