I have received many neat art postcards from Finland. The Finns do have great painters since past centuries.. it’s really amazing, maybe because here in Malaysia I can’t even name a single painter/artist who can be said “well-known”! All I can name are the cartoonists.. they are quite well-known anyway. Maybe Malaysians appreciate cartoons and comics more than paintings?? Nevermind.. let’s take a look at these postcards (yes, I love Finland coz they publish almost everything as postcards!!) :D
From IreneK. “Taivimaisema” (Winter Landscape), 1875, by Hjalmar Munsterhjelm.
From Juxu. “Taistelevat metsot” (Fighting Tetraos), 1886, by Ferdinand von Wright. Tetrao is a genus of birds in the grouse subfamily which is like chickens.
FI-138853 from Hannde. “Väinämöinen laulaa Joukahaisen suohon temperamaalus” (Väinämöinen sings Joukahainen into a fen tempera painting with a motif from Kalevala), 1912-1913, by Joseph Alanen. Väinämöinen is a character in the Finnish epic Kalevala.. he was described as a Finnish god, then as an old and wise man, and possessed a magical voice.
From IreneK. “Kyyhkysia” (Doves), 1970, by Ferdinand Von Wright. He was a Finnish famous artist from Kuopio and well-known especialy for bird paintings.
From Kilona. “Larin Paraske”, 1893, by Eero Järnefelt. Larin was a Finnish oral poet and considered as a key figure in Finnish folk poetry.
From Tellu. “Porilaisten marssi” (Finnish Soldiers in the war of 1808-1909), 1892, by Albert Edelfelt. The war was fought between Sweden and Russia and as a result, the eastern third of Sweden was established as the autonomous Grand Duchy of Finland within the Russian Empire.
