I Paint Like a god!

People in the nature 1911
You might ask where are the people? Very small under the tree.

Ellen Thesleff (1869-1954) at HAM - Helsinki Art Museum

She was amongst the most talented artists of the Finnish Golden Era and one of the Finnish symbolists and expressionists, a master of colour, light and movement, earning recognition already during her lifetime.

The title quote is from Ellen Thesleff’s letter to Edward Gordon Graig (1871-1966).  21 January, 1940 - in another of her letters to Gordon Graig she wrote like this - what a charming mix of languages:

Dear You 18.1.1920 Quelquefois je pense - chi cosa if I could see you working and hear you talk - perhaps I could have some courage de vivre ancora... Dites moi can on respire in Italia - is the sun strong? I think I have all forgotten. And your written drama - how? And your living drama how? Pour moi tante la vie est una drama sans commence... et sans fin - how could there existe un finito? You think?

A view from Murole

She was a cosmopolitan, as much at home in Finland, Paris or Florence. 

For her, the network of the international art world was a refuge, as was her summer studio 

Casa Bianca in Ruovesi’s Murole village, Finland.

Self-portrait 1894-1895


Thesleff was an exceptionally strong and independent woman
striving to become a painter from an early age. She began her art studies at the age of fifteen
in Finland and continued them later in Paris. 

Ever confident, she compared herself to Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo. 

Muse of Art 1946


I personally like better her earlier paintings, so I photographed them at the exhibition.
But to give you an idea of Thesleff’s later style, above an example.

The painter’s sister Thyra Elisabeth, 1892 / Photo: Hanna Kukorelli

Leaf hut 1908

The Harbour of Helsinki 1912

Venice 1905

Midsummer, evening scenery 1906

Italian landscape 1906

The lighting in HAM was a bit challenging and turned the photos a bit yellowish. Interesting exhibition and the new HAM is impressive. The museum is situated in Tennispalatsi / Tennis Palace that also houses a Finnkino multiplex movie theatre. Before turning the building into a centric cultural center, there were four tennis courts and me too have played tennis there! Tennispalatsi was built in 1938. The functionalist building was designed by Helge Lundström. Photo Finnkino.

 The ladies' room mosaic at HAM was pinkish and very artisticly laid.
Others are random views from Helsinki.

// WILLY-NILLY
// MOSAIC MONDAY