Akseli Gallen-Kallela (born Axel Waldemar Gallén; 26 April 1865 – 7 March 1931) was a Finnish painter who is best known for his illustrations of the Kalevala, the Finnish national epic. His work is considered a very important aspect of the Finnish national identity. He finnicized his name from Gallén to Gallen-Kallela in 1907.
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👉 Akseli Gallen-Kallela in the context of Golden Age of Finnish Art
The Golden Age of Finnish Art coincided with the national awakening of Finland, during the era of the Grand Duchy of Finland under the Russian Empire. It is believed to span an era from the late 19th Century to the early 20th Century, approximately 1880 to 1910. The epic poetry form known as Kalevala, developed during the 19th Century, provided the artistic inspiration for numerous themes at the time, including in visual arts, literature, music and architecture; however, the "Golden Age of Finnish Art" is generally regarded as referring to the realist and romantic nationalist painters of the time. Notable figures of the time include Akseli Gallen-Kallela, Pekka Halonen, Albert Edelfelt, Jean Sibelius, Eino Leino, Helene Schjerfbeck, Emil Wikström, Eero Järnefelt and Eliel Saarinen.
Finnish art became more widely known in Europe at the Paris Exposition of 1900, where the Finnish pavilion was one of the most popular among the attendees.
In this Dossier
Akseli Gallen-Kallela in the context of Sampo
In Finnish mythology, the Sampo (pronounced [ˈsɑmpo]) or Sammas (pronounced [ˈsɑmːɑs]) is a magical device or object described in many different ways, constructed by the blacksmith, inventor and originally the sky god Ilmarinen, and which brings riches and good fortune to its holder, akin to the horn of plenty (cornucopia) of Greek mythology. A central myth in Finnish mythology is the idea that the sampo was once in Pohjola but a group of heroes attempt to steal it. Sammas, as something at the center of the world, also exists in Estonian mythology.
The Sampo or Sammas has multiple other names in runic songs as well, including Samppu, Samppi and Kirjokansi (pronounced [ˈkirjoˌkɑnsi]).
Akseli Gallen-Kallela in the context of The Defense of the Sampo
The Defense of the Sampo (Finnish: Sammon puolustus) is a tempera-on-canvas Romantic national painting created in 1896 by Finnish painter Akseli Gallen-Kallela. The painting illustrates a passage from the Kalevala, the Finnish national epic compiled by Elias Lönnrot in the 19th century.
The scene portrayed is taken from the 43rd song of the epic, where the hero Väinämöinen, seen wielding a sword, has stolen the precious artifact Sampo from the evil witch Louhi, and she, having taken the form of a giant bird, is trying to reclaim it. The battle for the Sampo is also given a deeper connotation as a battle for the soul of Finland.
Akseli Gallen-Kallela in the context of Adjutant
Adjutant is a military appointment given to an officer who assists the commanding officer with unit administration, mostly the management of "human resources" in an army unit. The term adjudant is used in French-speaking armed forces as a non-commissioned officer rank similar to a master sergeant or warrant officer but is not equivalent to the role or appointment of an adjutant.
An adjutant general is commander of an army's administrative services.