Time : from February 7 to May 6, 2012 (opening hours: from 9:30 to 18:00; Monday day off; on Thursdays, the Orsay Museum is open until 21:45; the museum is closed on January 1, May 1 and December 25)
A place : Paris, France; Orsay Museum(d "Orsay) ( Musée d "Orsay); address: rue de Lille, 62
Event : Exhibition "Axeli Gallen-Kallela. Passion for Finland "(Akseli Gallen-Kallela (1865-1931). Une passion finlandaise)
Entrance fees to the Orsay Museum cost 9 € and also entitle you to view this exhibition; ticket price for preferential categories of visitors is 6.50 €
Finnish artist Axeli Gall e n-k a llela (Akseli Gallen-Kallela) (1865-1931) - one of the most iconic figures in Finnish art at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries. This year in Paris Musée d'Orsay for the first time a large monographic exhibition dedicated to his work is being held. Although there were no major exhibitions of this artist in France before, Gallen-Kallela had close ties with Paris: in the 1880s he studied at the Académie Julian, and in 1900, at the World Exhibition in Paris, the Finnish pavilion, decorated with frescoes of his work, triumphed. created based on the Finnish epic "Kalevala". Later, in 1908, Gallen-Kallela re-presented his paintings at the Salon d'Automne in Paris.
In the work of Axeli Gall e on-K a Llela combined naturalism, neo-romanticism, symbolism and expressionism. He worked in various painting genres, and also was engaged in decorative and applied arts (for example, he is known for the design of Finnish hand-made carpets ruyu). New exhibition in Paris talks about the brilliant career of this versatile artist and introduces the public to many valuable works from Finnish museums and private collections.
The exhibition was first held at the Helsinki Art Museum and has now moved to Paris. And from June 1 to September 2, 2012 exhibition can be seen in Dusseldorf, at the Palace of Arts ( Museum Kunstpalast).
The curators of the Orsay Museum and their partners from Helsinki and Düsseldorf have very carefully approached the choice of material for the exhibition, deciding to limit it to works of the highest quality. As a result, about 90 paintings and works of decorative art, characteristic of each period and theme of Gallen-Kallela's work. This retrospective vividly illustrates the unique personality and the most interesting creative path of the artist, who has become the largest representative of national romantic direction Northern (Finnish) Art Nouveau.
The early work of Gallen-Kallela: Peasants and rural life
Akseli Gallen-Kallela was born in 1865 in the Finnish city of Pori, on the western coast of the Grand Duchy of Finland, which was part of the Russian Empire. Then his name sounded simple Axeli Gallen(the artist added her Finnish version of Kallela to his last name in 1907, on the wave of the national movement). Even as a child, his true passion was art, although Gallen's father did not approve of this. After the death of his father, in 1881-84, the young man began attending drawing classes at the Society for the Encouragement of Arts in Helsingfors (as the Helsinki Academy of Arts was then called).
During this period, the young man's creativity was most attracted by scenes from rural life, which he knew well from his childhood, when he often visited the town of Tyurvaa in western Finland. It was there that in 1884 he painted the picture “ Boy and crow”, Demonstrating the influence of the French representative of naturalism Jules Bastien-Lepage (1848-1884), but marked at the same time with the characteristic features of Finnish nature, national types and original way of life. A year later, Axeli Gallen writes the canvas “ The old woman and the cat", Depicting an elderly peasant woman with knobby fingers and a body crippled by hard work.
In 1886-1889, while studying at Keuruu in Central Finland, Gallen switched to a softer style of painting: he painted interiors with a play of chiaroscuro in the spirit of Rembrandt. During this period, the artist depicts typically finnish everyday scenes: washing in a sauna, a village family doing household chores. His characters are humble and dignified. Since 1890, the artist began to depict the wild landscapes of Karelia, using them for the monumental and decorative cycles that made him famous. These works reflect the feeling of human unity with Nature.
Paris period
Shortly before his 20th birthday, Axeli Gallen-Kallela begins to study at the Julian Academy in Paris... Between the fall of 1884 and the end of the spring of 1889, he made three trips to the French capital. In 1887, after studying at the Academy of Julian, he entered the workshop Fernand Cormon- a realist painter who admired the Finnish youth with his historical paintings, which later inspired Gallen on his own search for the prehistoric origins of Finnish identity. Despite his wide circle of friends, Gallen was homesick. His closest friends were Finns and Swedes, such as Albert Edelfelt, Karl Dörnberger and August Strindberg, whom he met in Paris.
During training in Paris Gallen practiced everyday and street sketches, wrote sketches that he noticed on the streets and in cafes. An example of the work of this period is the painting “ Paris Boulevard"(1885). He also depicted various scenes in interiors. One of these works is the painting "Nude" ("Without a mask") (Démasquée ), written in 1888 and recognized as one of the main Gallen-Kallela masterpieces... The painting depicts a nude Parisian woman (apparently a prostitute) sitting on a sofa covered in a traditional Finnish carpet. This work is considered by experts as an attempt to capture the moment when all the generally accepted masks fall off, and only a naked existence remains. Some art critics see in this picture the image of the tragedy of bohemian society.
During this time, the artist also painted self-portraits and portraits of his friends. In 1886, 1888 and 1889 he took part in the Salon of the Society of French Artists.
Symbolism in the work of Gallen-Kallela
A special section of the exhibition at the Musée d'Orsay is dedicated to symbolism and spiritualism in the works of Gallen-Kallela... In 1893-1894. the Finnish artist has created a number of canvases that can be attributed to this European artistic movement. During this period, he was inspired by biblical subjects, as well as occult and theosophical teachings; he shared the spiritual quest of many symbolists and pondered the purpose of art.
The symbols used by the artist are mystical in nature, referring to cosmic, primordial motives. In the remarkable works of this period, Gallen addresses such topics as the miracle of creation and life. So, for example, in the painting “ Symposium(1894) we see two men looking at a strange phenomenon like an angel hovering over a table. This angel himself is outside the picture. Here is a standing figure in black - this is the artist himself. The two at the table are Finnish composers Robert Kajanus and Jan Sibelius. The soaring vision presented to them symbolizes the secret of art, which the sleeping man at the table (it is assumed that this is a critic, whose profession is precisely the interpretation of art) cannot see and unravel. In this work, there is clearly an idea of the artist as a chosen person, a demiurge, who alone is given to see the invisible.
In the picture " Ad astra "(" To the Stars ") (1894) Gallen-Kallela presents his vision of the biblical theme of the Resurrection, which he interprets as liberation following human suffering. This canvas is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful works of European symbolism... This cosmic picture, framed by doors, like a church altar, remained in the artist's studio until the end of his days.
The large-scale pantheistic landscapes of Gallen-Kallela in the illustrations for the Kalevala and the decoration of the Juselius mausoleum in Pori can also be partly attributed to symbolism.
Portrait painting
Portraits by Gallen-Kallela depict mainly his fellow artists, as well as representatives of the high society of the then Finland. We see, for example, the Finnish entrepreneur and philanthropist Antti Alström among his family and the industrialist Gustav Serlahius, proudly standing in the middle of his huge paper mill.
Another portrait shows Senator and mathematics professor Edward Neovius with his family. Also noteworthy portrait of Finnish actress Ida Aalberg(1893) - one of the greatest dramatic actresses of the time. Gallen-Kallela portrayed her with an anxious expression on her face, looking into the distance with burning eyes and expressively folded hands.
Finally, in the portrait of his young wife Mary the artist presented her in an elegant lady's outfit, in harmony with the surrounding rocky landscape.
Landscapes
In June 1889, Gallen traveled with his friend Luis Sparre to Keuruu in Central Finland. Here he paints several landscapes, skillfully conveying the water surface of the lake and the reflections of trees in the water. In the summer of 1892, the painting “ Black woodpecker", Which captures nature Karelia- a wild region in which the Finnish intelligentsia was looking for an ancient way of life and ideas for their creativity.
The artist also created numerous landscapes of the Ruovesi region in western Finland. Beginning in 1902, under the influence of the German art association "Falanx", and then the group "The Bridge", Gallen's landscapes became more stylized, full of shimmering colors. In many of his landscapes, mystical, symbolic aspects appear. The bird in the painting "Black Woodpecker" serves as a symbol of life, and the waterfall and five golden streams in the painting " Waterfall in Mäntykoski»Suggest the musical accompaniment of falling water.
Spring in Kalela and Lynx's Lair show the influence of the Swiss Ferdinand Hodler and the Norwegian artist Edvard Munch, with whom Gallen-Kallela arranged a joint exhibition in Berlin in 1894.
Illustrations for "Kalevala"
The theme of nature is present in the most, perhaps, famous paintings by Gallen-Kallela dedicated to Finnish epic "Kalevala"- a poem based on folk epic songs by folklorist Elias Lönnrot and first published in 1835. This epic instantly became a symbol of Finnish culture, responded to the artist's interest in issues of national identity and the political situation at the end of the 19th century, when the country was still under the control of the Russian Empire.
Axeli Gallen-Kallela found powerful visuals to express the magical and heroic motives of the epic. In the triptych "The Legend of Aino" and the painting "The Making of Sampo" the artist still adheres to the naturalistic style. However, when depicting such heroes of the Kalevala as Väinämöinen and Lemminkäinen endowed with supernatural power, he applies completely new style, tough and expressive, full of inimitable bright colors and stylized ornaments. In the canvas " Sampo Defense»We see Väinämöinen's struggle with the evil witch Louhi for Sampo - a magical object that is a source of happiness and abundance.
From this cycle, it is also worth noting separately the amazing picture “ Lemminkäinen's mother", Which can be called a genuine northern Pieta. The painting depicts the moment when Lemminkäinen's mother finds her son by the River of Death, after which she revives him.
Frescoes for the mausoleum of Juselius in Pori
In 1898 an industrialist from the city of Pori Arthur Juzelius survived a tragedy: at the age of 11, his only daughter died. The inconsolable father decided to create a tomb chapel in memory of his daughter. The building was designed by the architect Josef Stenbeck ( Josef Stenbäck) in the neo-gothic style. The customer also wanted the mausoleum to be beautifully decorated from the inside. The bulk of the work to create wall paintings was entrusted to Gallen-Kallele. In 1902-1903 he completed numerous preparatory oil sketches for these frescoes... Unfortunately, the frescoes themselves soon collapsed, and then finally a fire, but in the 1930s they managed to be restored: according to his father's sketches, this was done by the artist's son, Yerma Gallen-Kallela ( Jorma gallen-kallela) (1898-1939).
In these frescoes, Gallen presented the cycle of life and death, from a metaphysical point of view, examining the theme of the connection between human fate and the rhythm of the changing seasons in nature. In the panel " Spring»We see a woman in a black dress who symbolizes death and threatens the happiness of children. In the composition "Construction", a woman gives her eldest child milk, which was intended for her stillborn baby. River of Death, Tuonela, mercilessly takes away all living things.
A total of six paintings from this cycle can be seen at the exhibition, with its idealistic narrative program and complex iconography: "Spring", "Construction", "On the banks of the Tuonela River", "Destruction", "Autumn" and, finally, "Winter". Together, these canvases form a striking "panorama of life", full of deep symbolism and expressive power. Unfortunately, the exhibition does not show sketches for the other two compositions, although in the mausoleum itself, tragic frescoes are complemented by lighter transcendental landscapes " Paradise" and " Cosmic ether”That add a touch of hope to this funeral cycle.
Axeli Gallen-Kallela himself survived the death of his own child. In March 1895 he received a telegram stating that his daughter had died of diphtheria. This tragedy became a turning point in his work. Since then, his brush has lost its soft romantic character and has become more rigid and aggressive. It was during this period that the aforementioned style appeared, characteristic of such works as Lemminkäinen's Mother and Joukahainen's Revenge.
Gallen-Kallela decorative and applied arts and the idea of the synthesis of arts
Two halls of the exposition are dedicated to the activities of Gallen-Kallela in the field of decorative arts... It must be said that the artist had an unusually wide range of creative interests: Designed furniture and traditional Finnish carpets, built houses, illustrated books, designed interiors ... In particular, according to his own project was built house-studio "Kalela"(1894) in Ruovesi, among wild lakes and forests. The artist and his family have been in this residence for over ten years.
This wooden house, which today houses the Gallen-Kallela Museum, was built using traditional building methods and creatively reworked folklore motifs. For the interior of his village dwelling, the artist himself developed the design of furniture, stoves, fabrics and other furnishings, creating a unique harmonious environment. Tables, chairs, wardrobe, handmade carpet with decorative "Flame" motif - all this creates a single ensemble.
On exhibition in Paris presented several objects designed by the artist interior combining finnish folk roots and recent European influences Art Nouveau... In addition, the room was decorated according to Gallen's sketches. the plant Iris (this company belonged to his friend Luis Sparre and specialized in the production of ceramics and furniture) in the Finnish pavilion, presented at 1900 World's Fair in Paris.
For World's Fair 1900 Gallen-Kallela also painted murals for Finnish pavilion... These murals were again dedicated to the epic “ Kalevala”And at the same time revealed the political views of the artist. So, on the fresco "Ilmarinen plows the serpentine field" on one of the vipers you can see the royal crown of the Romanovs, so that the process of driving the vipers from the field takes on the meaning of a call for the independence of Finland.
After this Paris exhibition, Gallen-Kallela acquired the status leading Finnish artist known all over the world. The cycle of frescoes for the Finnish pavilion of the World Exhibition was then repeated by the master during the design hall of the National Museum in Helsinki in 1928.
The last years of life and work
In 1909, the artist went with his family to Kenya, where he created over one and a half hundred canvases in the spirit of Expressionism, some of which can be seen on the current exhibition at the Musée d'Orsay... In Africa, he observed local customs and customs, participated in safari and expeditions. However, after a couple of years, the artist returned to his homeland, realizing that here are his roots and the source of his inspiration.
The last years of his life, Gallen-Kallela was actively involved in politics, wrote less and less and spent a lot of time in nature. In 1918, during the Finnish Civil War, the artist and his son took part in hostilities on the side of the whites. Then, at the suggestion Mannerheim Gallen-Kallela designed flags, uniforms, state symbols independent Finland, and in 1919 he was appointed adjutant of Mannerheim.
In 1923-26. the artist lived in the United States, and exhibitions of his work were arranged in several American cities. Gallen-Kallela died of pneumonia while in Stockholm, returning from a lecture in Copenhagen. His studio house Tarvaspää ( Tarvaspää) is a museum in Espoo, as is the aforementioned Kalela studio in Ruovesi.
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Used sources .
Axeli Gallen-KallelaGallen-Kallela, Akseli (real name and surname Gallen, Axel) (1865–1931), Finnish artist, leader of the national-romantic trend in the Finnish Art Nouveau iso-culture.
Born in Bjoerneborg (Finnish name - Pori; port in southwestern Finland) on May 26, 1865 in the family of an entrepreneur. His surname expressed the two-part nature of the local culture: the artist's father used its Swedish version ("Gallen"), and his grandfather - the Finnish one ("Kallela"). Studied at the Drawing School of the Society for the Encouragement of Arts in Helsingfors (1881–1884), as well as at the R. Julien Academy in Paris (1884–1889) under VA Bouguereau and F. Cormon. Experienced by J. Bastien-Lepage. He worked a lot in Karelia, visited Italy and Germany (studying the art of the Renaissance and Art Nouveau), in 1909 and in the 1920s he traveled to East Africa.
His early works (Boy and Crow, 1884; First lesson, 1889; both works - Athenaeum, Helsinki) are solved in the spirit of Scandinavian verism, embodying the characteristic types and everyday life of the peasantry. By the end of the 19th century, having organically entered the channel of "Nordism" (northern modernity), he became a significant and, over the years, the largest representative of its national-romantic Finnish trend, vividly and expressively capturing the feelings and thoughts associated with the process of Finland's gaining political independence. The legends of the Kalevala were the guiding lines for the artist. Before the revolution, he exhibited his things in Russia more than once. Beginning mainly with the display at the Nizhny Novgorod fair of the triptych The Legend of Aino (1891, now in the Ateneum), a kind of friendship-enmity connected him with A.M. Gorky, who at first criticized the master for his "decadence", but in turn clearly felt his influence.
Moving from oil to tempera, Gallen-Kallela painted monumental panels dedicated to the heroes of the national epic; key moments of the plot, symbolic clarity of details are combined in these compositions with catchy color-compositional rhythms (Defense of Sampo, 1896; Joukahainen's Revenge, 1897; both paintings - Art Museum, Turku; Lemminkäinen's Mother, 1897; Curse of Kullervo, 1899; both works - Ateneum). Attaching great importance to landscape surroundings, he also created clean landscapes (Imatra in winter, 1893, ibid.). Among his monumental and decorative cycles, the most famous are the design of the Finnish pavilion for the 1900 Paris World Exhibition (also on the themes of the Kalevala), which was repeated on the walls of the lobby of the National Museum in Helsinki (1928), and the paintings of the chapel-tomb of the daughter of industrialist I. Jusselius in Pori (1901 –1903); quickly deteriorating, these frescoes were subsequently partially restored; sketches for them are kept in the Athenaeum). In the latter case, the master, moving away from specific epic plots, presented a generalized cycle of human life-death, coupled with the birth-dying of nature.
He acted as a portrait painter (A.M. Gorky, 1906, ibid.) And a book artist (illustrations for the novel by A.Kivi Semerobrat, 1906-1907). For many years, he nurtured the dream of a luxurious edition of the Kalevala, accumulating illustrations and ornaments, but he could not realize it (some of these works were published in the Russian edition of the Finnish epic, published in 1977). Striving to form a holistic style of the nation, he was actively involved in design (model sketches of embroidery, artistic metal, carving and burning on wood, furniture, traditional hand-made rue carpets). Stamps and banknotes were produced according to his drawings. He designed two of his own studio houses: in Ruovesi (1894), as well as the "castle" in Leppävara near Helsinki (1913). In 1923 he published a book of memoirs and reflections on art.
Gallen-Kallela died in Stockholm on March 7, 1931. His house-museum is now open in Leppävara.Defense of Sampo ("Kalevala") 1896
Kullervo Cursing the Owner's Wife ("Kalevala") 1899
Mill Sampo ("Kalevala")
Lemminkäinen's mother ("Kalevala")
The Legend of Aino ("Kalevala")
Kullervo ("Kalevala")
Väinämöinen ("Kalevala")
Eukhainen's Revenge ("Kalevala") 1897
Fratricide ("Kalevala") 1897
By the Tuonela River (Tuonella is the land of death)
Illustration for the legend about how death helped a peasant to build a house.
And just a little bit of everything:
Woodpecker. 1892-93Imatra. 1893
Mother's portrait. 1896
Exposed
Ad astra goed
Bil Bol Poster. Poster for an automobile exhibition.
Symposium (with my friends, including composer Jean Sibelius)
Winter sketch. 1897
Birth and Death in the Grove
Since time immemorial, people have applied all kinds of patterns to their skin. Body painting with henna was practiced in Greece, Mesopotamia, India, Babylon, Rome and Assyria. In addition to the decorative function, such patterns acted as an amulet. It was believed that they protect people from harm.
Benefits of a henna painting
It should be noted that the mehendi, the sketches of which are now in front of you, do absolutely no harm to the body and surpass permanent tattoos in many ways. Think for yourself, do you need a drawing that will be very difficult to get rid of later? Moreover, applying a permanent tattoo is very painful, in addition, it is harmful to health. Think how she will look in a couple of years? Of course, it will turn pale, lose its appearance, and you will probably regret doing it. Then you will spend a lot of nerves and money to display the drawing. And you won't have such problems with mehendi. They look very cute and elegant, and those around them will admire these gorgeous patterns. It is not surprising that many young people prefer just such. Admit: mehendi drawings, sketches for sure you like. If you have a rich imagination, you can complement the pattern with rhinestones or shiny varnish.
How long does mehendi last?
The henna pattern lasts from 7 to 14 days on the skin, that is, you certainly will not have time to get bored with it. And after this time, you can apply a new pattern or update the old one. If you want to erase this tattoo, use a shallow brush and soapy water.
How to make henna paste
- Bring 0.5 liters of water to a boil.
- Add two small spoons of tea or ground coffee to it.
- Keep the water on low heat for about an hour, stirring occasionally.
- Take a fine strainer (you can also use a regular strainer and sift 40 grams of henna through it. Just don't take the powder used for dyeing your hair. It is made from another part of the plant.
- Pour water into henna powder, stir. The resulting composition should be similar in density to. If you want mehendi, photos, sketches of which are particularly elegant, to be bright, add lemon juice to the mixture.
- Let the finished composition stand for several hours.
How to overlay a pattern using printing?
- Decide on which part of the body you would like to see mehendi, sketches of which, by the way, can help you in drawing.
- Spread the mixture over the stencil.
- Press it against your skin.
- Leave the seal in this position for a while.
- Remove it and wash it off with soapy water.
The final stage of mehendi overlay
- You need to be in a warm place for an hour to dry the drawing. It is not forbidden to dry it with an infrared lamp.
- To make the pattern beautiful and bright, combine sugar and lemon juice in a 1: 2 ratio, and then apply this solution to the drawing. Do not smear it inadvertently!
- Treat the skin with vegetable oil to keep it soft. You can also use sesame or almond - it will help make the drawing bright and shiny.
- Treat the mehendi with hairspray - this is necessary to secure the pattern.
For what purpose are henna patterns applied to the skin?
This is what mehendi are for, the sketches of which are distinguished by their extraordinary beauty:
- to beautify the body;
- to protect against otherworldly entities and the evil eye;
- to protect the skin from the scorching sun;
- for the purpose of disinfection;
- for the implementation of all kinds of rituals;
- for the holidays.
What do the mehendi symbols mean?
So, you now know how to prepare a mixture for applying a pattern, what the various symbols mean. Perhaps you are already thinking about decorating your skin with such a pattern, because it is very beautiful and elegant. You also saw sketches of mehendi tattoos, which probably gave you some ideas for your future design.
