Wäinö Aaltonen
Encyclopedia
Wäinö Valdemar Aaltonen (8 March 1894 – 30 May 1966) was a Finnish
artist and sculptor. The Chambers Biographical Dictionary describes him as "one of the leading Finnish sculptors".
He was born to a tailor in the village of Marttila
, Finland. He became interested in art after being deaf as a child, and attended the School of Drawing of the Turku Art Association from age 16, or specifically between 1910 and 1915. He had spent many of the early years at this school studying painting
, but he was self-taught as a sculptor. A journey he made to Italy
in 1923 opened his eyes to cubist
and futurist
art. These elements can primarily be seen in his paintings.
As the Republic of Finland arose, and the First World War
raged, he sculpted War Memorial
s. He soon became a nationalist icon, the exemplar Finn, establishing an exhibition in Stockholm
in 1927. His sculpture is nationalist in nature, and he is noted for monumental figures and bust
s portraying citizens of Finland. An example is the 1925 sculpture of Paavo Nurmi
, a cast of which is exhibited outside the Helsinki
stadium. Another notable work is that of Jean Sibelius
, a bust of 1928. These two works, like the main body of his work, are bronze casts
—though he did work in stone and even glass. Though chiefly naturalistic
, the cubist influence is also present here. He was one of the early 20th-century pioneers of direct carving.
He was married four times. A large collection of his works are on permanent exhibition at the Wäinö Aaltonen Museum of Art
in Turku
.
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
artist and sculptor. The Chambers Biographical Dictionary describes him as "one of the leading Finnish sculptors".
He was born to a tailor in the village of Marttila
Marttila
Marttila ) is a municipality of Finland.It is located in the province of Western Finland and is part of the Finland Proper region. The municipality has a population of and covers an area of of which is water...
, Finland. He became interested in art after being deaf as a child, and attended the School of Drawing of the Turku Art Association from age 16, or specifically between 1910 and 1915. He had spent many of the early years at this school studying painting
Painting
Painting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a surface . The application of the medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush but other objects can be used. In art, the term painting describes both the act and the result of the action. However, painting is...
, but he was self-taught as a sculptor. A journey he made to Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
in 1923 opened his eyes to cubist
Cubism
Cubism was a 20th century avant-garde art movement, pioneered by Pablo Picasso and Georges Braque, that revolutionized European painting and sculpture, and inspired related movements in music, literature and architecture...
and futurist
Futurism (art)
Futurism was an artistic and social movement that originated in Italy in the early 20th century. It emphasized and glorified themes associated with contemporary concepts of the future, including speed, technology, youth and violence, and objects such as the car, the airplane and the industrial city...
art. These elements can primarily be seen in his paintings.
As the Republic of Finland arose, and the First World War
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
raged, he sculpted War Memorial
War memorial
A war memorial is a building, monument, statue or other edifice to celebrate a war or victory, or to commemorate those who died or were injured in war.-Historic usage:...
s. He soon became a nationalist icon, the exemplar Finn, establishing an exhibition in Stockholm
Stockholm
Stockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...
in 1927. His sculpture is nationalist in nature, and he is noted for monumental figures and bust
Bust (sculpture)
A bust is a sculpted or cast representation of the upper part of the human figure, depicting a person's head and neck, as well as a variable portion of the chest and shoulders. The piece is normally supported by a plinth. These forms recreate the likeness of an individual...
s portraying citizens of Finland. An example is the 1925 sculpture of Paavo Nurmi
Paavo Nurmi
Paavo Johannes Nurmi was a Finnish runner. Born in Turku, he was known as one of the "Flying Finns," a term given to him, Hannes Kolehmainen, Ville Ritola, and others for their distinction in running...
, a cast of which is exhibited outside the Helsinki
Helsinki
Helsinki is the capital and largest city in Finland. It is in the region of Uusimaa, located in southern Finland, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, an arm of the Baltic Sea. The population of the city of Helsinki is , making it by far the most populous municipality in Finland. Helsinki is...
stadium. Another notable work is that of Jean Sibelius
Jean Sibelius
Jean Sibelius was a Finnish composer of the later Romantic period whose music played an important role in the formation of the Finnish national identity. His mastery of the orchestra has been described as "prodigious."...
, a bust of 1928. These two works, like the main body of his work, are bronze casts
Bronze sculpture
Bronze is the most popular metal for cast metal sculptures; a cast bronze sculpture is often called simply a "bronze".Common bronze alloys have the unusual and desirable property of expanding slightly just before they set, thus filling the finest details of a mold. Then, as the bronze cools, it...
—though he did work in stone and even glass. Though chiefly naturalistic
Naturalism (art)
Naturalism in art refers to the depiction of realistic objects in a natural setting. The Realism movement of the 19th century advocated naturalism in reaction to the stylized and idealized depictions of subjects in Romanticism, but many painters have adopted a similar approach over the centuries...
, the cubist influence is also present here. He was one of the early 20th-century pioneers of direct carving.
He was married four times. A large collection of his works are on permanent exhibition at the Wäinö Aaltonen Museum of Art
Wäinö Aaltonen Museum of Art
Wäinö Aaltonen Museum of Art or WAM for short, is an art museum in central Turku, Finland dedicated especially to modern art. The museum is located on the east bank of the Aura River. The permanent exhibition is based on the art collection of City of Turku, which includes a large collection of...
in Turku
Turku
Turku is a city situated on the southwest coast of Finland at the mouth of the Aura River. It is located in the region of Finland Proper. It is believed that Turku came into existence during the end of the 13th century which makes it the oldest city in Finland...
.
Works
- Tytön pää, n. 1917
- Graniittipoika, 1917-1920
- Maria Jotuni, 1918-1920
- Opettajani, 1919
- Aaro Hellaakosken pronssipää, 1919
- Savonlinnan sankaripatsas, (The Hero's Grave) 1919-1921
- Punagraniittinen neito, 1923
- Mustagraniittinen neito, 1924
- Paavo NurmenPaavo NurmiPaavo Johannes Nurmi was a Finnish runner. Born in Turku, he was known as one of the "Flying Finns," a term given to him, Hannes Kolehmainen, Ville Ritola, and others for their distinction in running...
juoksijapatsas, 1924-1925 - Seisova nainen, 1920-1924
- Istuva nainen, 1920-1925
- Uimaan lähtevä nainen, 1924
- Turun Lilja, n. 1924-1926
- Musica, 1926
- Aleksis Kiven patsas (Tampere), 1926-1927
- Tampereen Hämeensillan patsaat: Eränkävijä, Veronkantaja, Kauppias ja Suomen neito, 1927-1929
- Myrsky (Memorial statue for the 53 victims of the sunken Finnish torpedo boat S2Finnish torpedo boat S2S2 was a Finnish Sokol class torpedo boat that had been seized from the Russians after the Finnish Civil War 1918. It sank during a fierce storm on October 4, 1925, taking with her the whole crew of 53.-Background:Between 1900 and 1908, the Russians built 25 Sokol class torpedo boats for the...
in ReposaariReposaariReposaari is an island at the Kokemäenjoki rivers mouth in Pori, Finland.It is connected with the Finnish mainland by three bridges. It is mainly harbour and industrial area....
, PoriPoriPori is a city and municipality on the west coast of Finland. The city is located some from the Gulf of Bothnia, on the estuary of the Kokemäenjoki river, which is the largest in Finland. Pori is the most important town in the Satakunta region....
), 1930 - Eduskuntatalon täysistuntosalin syvennyksien alastonfiguurit, 1930-1932
- Aleksis Kiven patsas (Helsinki), 1930-1939
- Marjatta, 1934
- Delaware-muistomerkki, 1937-1938
- Vapauden jumalatar seppelöi nuoruuden, 1939-1940
- Tampereen Osuustoimintamuistomerkki, 1949-1950
- Ystävyys solmitaan (Joint monument for the cities of Turku and Gothenburg), n. 1948-1955
- Lahden sankaripatsas, 1952
- Rautatienrakentajien muistomerkki, 1957, Hyvinkää
- Genius ohjaa nuoruutta (in front of the University of TurkuUniversity of TurkuThe University of Turku , located in Turku in southwestern Finland, is the second largest university in the country as measured by student enrollment, after University of Helsinki. It was established in 1920 and also has faculties at Rauma, Pori and Salo...
main library), 1958-1960 - Presidenttien patsaat eduskuntatalon edessä: K. J. Ståhlberg, 1957-1958 ; P. E. Svinhufvud, 1957-1959
- Genius Montanus (on Aaltonen's grave in Turku), 1960
External links
- Wäinö Aaltonen Museum of Art in Turku
- Art Signature Dictionary, genuine signature by the artist Wäinö Aaltonen Here are 11 examples of Wäinö Aaltonen's signature and monogram, six dated from 1925 to 1940.