The exhibition presents over 50 paintings and prints drawn from the Ateneum Art Museum, one of three museums that form the Finnish National Gallery. Selected scenes cover more than 150 years and 800 miles, with artworks capturing the splendor and grandeur of Finland from the coast and archipelago in the south to Sápmi and the Arctic Ocean in the north.
Organized into four themes, the exhibition shows the sophistication of the Finnish art establishment and the concurrent development of the landscape genre from idealized views completed in the artist’s studio to realistic scenes painted en plein air (“in the open air”) to visual expressions of the landscape in a modern artistic language. An important loan of video art from the Museum of Contemporary Art Kiasma (also part of the Finnish National Gallery) strengthens the exhibition with the work of contemporary Sámi director, photographer, and video artist Marja Helander, who explores Finnish and Sámi culture through film.
Among Forests and Lakes: Landscape Masterpieces from the Finnish National Gallery is organized by the Ateneum Art Museum, Finnish National Gallery, and the National Nordic Museum. This exhibition is curated by the Finnish National Gallery’s Curator Dr. Hanne Selkokari and Senior Researcher Anu Utriainen. The presentation at the National Nordic Museum—the exclusive North American venue for the exhibition—is coordinated by Leslie Anne Anderson, Director of Collections, Exhibitions, and Programs.
The Museum is most grateful for the generous support that has made possible this exhibition:
Ann-Charlotte Gavel Adams
Barbro Osher Pro Suecia Foundation
Greg and Mary Moga
Finlandia Foundation National
Robert Lehman Foundation
Finn Spark
