Sisterhood from 100 Years ago

Here it is - A network of female artists from 100 years ago:

Helene Schjerfbeck 1862-1946, Ada Thilén 1852-1933, 

Helena Westermarck 1857-1933 and Maria Wiik 1853-1928

Postaus suomeksi täällä.

My May art post is based on a book I just read - Sisterhood of Artists. This was third book that I have read this year about Finnish female artists by professor Riitta Konttinen. All have been enchanting. This book deals with the lives, art and  life-long friendship between these four exceptional and talented female artists.

I
Ada Thilén: Girl reading 1896. Turku art museum.

A new way to paint, the colors are dim, the color scheme limited

and the influence of old Italian art is evident.

These four female painters got to know each other very young when studying at the art school of Art Association in Helsinki. They went together to study in Paris, made painting trips in Finland and abroad, even shared ateliers. As to art their opinions varied a lot. The other three did not understand at all the reduced and simple style adopted by Helene Schjerfbeck. Helena Westermarck quit painting later, was keen on women's rights and turned to a novelist and art critic. Ada Thilén is the least famous, although she too painted a lot. A certain kind of competition prevailed between Maria Wiik and Helene Schjerfbeck, these two being the most successful and well-known from the group.

II
Helena Westermarck: Women ironing1883. Private collection.

Hard critic: The women are extremely ugly; nihilistic;

the work represents extreme radicalism & extreme left!

A hundred years ago letters were the way to keep in touch and to exchange ideas. It was fascinating to read quotes from the letters these four wrote to each other. Only Helene Schjerfbeck was poor, the three others came from wealthy aristocratic families. But also they met sorrows and inconveniences: Thilén was visually impaired since birth and had a glass eye; Wiik's vision got poor because of glaucoma; Westermarck suffered from tuberculosis but was cured in the end; Schjerfbeck suffered from her hip injury from childhood and poor health the whole life.

III
Maria Wiik: Out to the world 1889. Ateneum.

The situation of two women at different age:

the young one aims out to the world, while grandmother is contemplating.

All four stayed unmarried. This was usually the only way for female artists to be successful, free of family, husband and child caring. Schjerfbeck was a short while engaged to a British painter but the groom broke the engagement being afraid that her hip injury was tuberculotic - which was not the case. These female painters spent summers at St. Ives and Bretagne too, all the time needing a chaperone, for it was not appropriate for young ladies to walk or travel alone.

IV
Helene Schjerfbeck: Boy feeding his little sister 1881. Ateneum.
These Breton children arouse an avalanche of critique
for they were considered to be extremely ugly.
The great artistic merits were buried under this ugliness.

Today it is very difficult to understand why these gorgeous paintings arouse so much controversy at their time. The book Sisterhood of Artists was a marvellous book to read with its many photos. Sorry it is available only in Finnish.

V
Riitta Konttinen, Sisterhood of Artists, published by Siltala 2014

Please, search for more artwork with the ladies' names.

I hope you enjoyed.

Five on Friday
Paint Monthly
Mosaic Monday

My previous posts on
Helene Schjerfbeck / June 2016
Maria Wiik / August 2016