Ville Vallgren

Ateneum Art Museum, Helsinki
until November 1st 2004

Nordic sculptor Ville Vallgren, famous for designing the 'Symbol of Helsinki' Havis Amanda, the mermaid rising from the sea, is the subject of an impressive retrospective spanning his long and versatile career.

The Ateneum Art Museum has amassed an extensive collection of the artist's works grouped by themes such as artist portraits, symbolist objects and fountains. A special treat is the recreation of Vallgren's atelier.

A native of Porvoo, Finland's second oldest city, Vallgren achieved international recognition with, among other accolades, winning a gold medal from the Paris Exposition, 1889 for the relief Christ.

He was a student of Carl Eneas Sjöstrand in Helskinski but eventually the artist moved to Paris and spent much of his career in that city.

His later works were at the center of the Age of Symbolism, often using natural themes such as flowers and leaves to intertwine with the subject matter to convey feelings and emotion.

Ateneum Art Museum

Ateneum Art Museum Helsinki Finland
Ateneum Art Museum, Helsinki, Finland
Photo: Central Art Archives, Hanna Aaltonen
Courtesy: Ateneum Art Museum

Inaugurated in 1887 the Ateneum Art Museum prides itself on its patriotic collection of Finnish art across the years, beginning with the mid-eighteenth century Gustav era. It also has a small collection of art featuring Vincent van Gogh, Paul Gauguin, Paul Cézanne, Fernand Léger and Marc Chagall.

Ateneum Art Museum at www.ateneum.fi