the Jacquemart André Museum organizes from March 11 an exhibition dedicated to the Finnish artist Akseli Gallen-Kallela (1865-1931). Best known for his work as a painter of Finnish Viking landscapes and myths, he also worked on glass and etchings. Nearly 70 works are visible at Jacquemart André Museumfrom public and private collections such as the Museum Gallen-Kallela d’Espoo. The exhibition covers a large part of the artist’s career with themes linked to nature and the great Finnish myths.
A growing artist
The most famous paintings of Gallen-Kallela feature the great Finnish lakes, abundant nature made up of trees and mountains and reflections in the water that offer an inverted perspective. The sun is sometimes bright, sometimes hidden behind the clouds to represent a country with long summer days and very short winter days. The appearance of snow gives an indication of the season and densifies the rough aspect of the paintings. The artist was confused very early on by the nascent industrial revolution and its consequences on eternal nature. He so lonely and eager for a peaceful life, Gallen-Kallela very early on looked for a place to house his studio. This was his studio home Kalela built in 1894, far from everything to allow him to smell the air of a country he loved so much, the Finland with constant lyricism. The rhythm of the seasons accompanies the content of his compositions to mark his attachment to the continual and intangible passing of days. In 2012, the Orsay Museum devoted a retrospective to him which made him better known to the French public and to discover his entire career. the Jacquemart André Museum is more interested in the question of the relationship of man to nature, which evolves during his career. With a room devoted to esoteric thought in reference to the years 1895 and with a visible change in his art from naturalism to symbolism, the exhibition allows us to see the evolution of the artist and his incessantly repeated interest in majestic nature.
The exhibition Gallen-Kallela at the Jacquemart André Museum provides a better understanding of the artist’s inspirations and his very strong attachment to his country. It is visible until July 25, the opportunity for a real change of scenery, both cultural and aesthetic.
Details:
Visit of the collections of the temporary exhibition: 15 euros
