Finland is one of those Northern European countries that I would have really loved having visited during my traveling days, now long gone due to financial issues, but mostly because of the upcoming dystopian Covid-19 regulations in airports all over the place. My only “contact” with this country was a few years ago when I struggled with its language in order to record a cover of a traditional song coming from that culture’s mythology, namely from The Kalevala.
Aside from his contemporary fellow countryman Akseli Gallen-Kallela, the painter who I am bringing about today could possibly be one of the most popular in Finland, most likely for the fact that he became quite an international figure within artistic circles in cosmopolitan Europe (particularly France) during the turn-of-the-century period, but also because he was the author of the very well-known portrait of chemist Louis Pasteur, who by the way, I believe could have been a freemason judging by this other less-known portrait of his painted by French artist Léon Bonnat. I have not found any hard evidence supporting this claim (which might come out as a bit strange since it is said freemasons like boasting about their famous members) but the hand-gesture displayed in the aforementioned picture should be quite telling.
Going back to the painter in question; Albert Edelfelt also became known for the practice of the en plein air artistic technique as it was noticeable that illustrating contemporary reality, rather than historical scenes, was becoming increasingly popular during that time period.
All in all I hope people here appreciate Albert Edelfelt’s artistic output. I have included below part of the artist’s biography which is to be found at the This Is Finland website.
From promising young Finnish painter to European celebrity, Albert Edelfelt was Finland’s first cosmopolitan art icon. His work was admired by, among many others, Vincent van Gogh. Declining a professorship at the Imperial Academy of Arts in St. Petersburg, Edelfelt’s greatest passions were the Parisian lifestyle and summers spent in his native country.
Albert Gustaf Aristides Edelfelt (21 July 1854 – 18 August 1905) was born into an aristocratic Swedish-speaking family. Despite this background, his childhood was financially strained. The father of the family died when Albert was only fifteen, leaving large debts behind. Nevertheless, Albert’s mother supported his artistic interest and ambitions throughout his formative years as a painter.
Though Edelfelt received art tutoring while studying languages and history at the Imperial University in Helsinki, he found art teaching in Finland backward. There were few art collections and the country lacked an inspiring artistic culture. He eventually gave up university and enrolled in the Antwerp Academy of Art in 1873. After studying historical painting for six months, he moved to Paris to continue his learning process.
From the outset, Edelfelt was certain that Paris was the right place for him to develop as a painter. The presence of like-minded artists and an ever- expanding circle of friends enabled him to have rousing discussions on art. He was inspired by his contemporaries but was also strongly influenced by past masters such as Velazquez and Goya. Edelfelt traveled back to Finland in 1875 with a strong resolve to return to Paris as soon as possible.
Portraits, Paris, and plein air
The initial purpose of Edelfelt’s studies abroad was to become a history painter. Indeed, his first work to gain public recognition in Paris was Queen Bianca, a portrait depicting mediaeval times.
However, although Edelfelt lived in Paris for over fifteen years, he only painted one large outdoor work there – The Luxembourg Gardens. The inspiration for his other, comparable works came from Finnish subjects. In the late 19th century, Paris epitomised all the attractions contemporary life had to offer. While living there, Edelfelt painted numerous portraits of beautiful Parisian women, a few of whom were also objects of his affection.
The rich and powerful of Paris formed a clientele impossible to attain in Finland. About half of Edelfelt’s works are portraits. Besides painting often unnamed female models, he also did several commissioned portraits. The most famous of these is the Portrait of Louis Pasteur. When the painting was finally finished, its popularity elevated Edelfelt to a celebrated position as one of the most proficient portraitists in Europe. Some years before this van Gogh had expressed his admiration of Edelfelt’s talent to show humane feelings in his works.
After his initial years of history painting, Edelfelt did not go truly back to this genre until the Inauguration of the Academy of Turku. This large scale work – depicting the founding of the Academy (later the University) in Turku in 1640 – was to be placed to the Great Hall of the University of Helsinki. The painting is widely regarded as the apex of his work, reflecting his roles as artist, cultural diplomat, and historian. Albert Edelfelt died in August 1905.
By Otto Utti, November 2004
People can read Edelfelt’s unabridged biography HERE.