Eero Järnefelt
Encyclopedia
Eero Erik Nikolai Järnefelt (8 November 1863 - 15 November 1937) was a Finnish
realist
painter
.
Eero Järnefelt was born in Viipuri, Finland
. His father August Aleksander Järnefelt
was an officer in the Russia
n army and his mother was Elisabeth Järnefelt
(née Clodt von Jürgensburg
). He studied at the St. Petersburg art academy between 1883 and 1885, the same school at which Albert Edelfelt
had studied. Eero Järnefelt's sister Aino Järnefelt married composer Jean Sibelius
in 1892,
Eero Järnefelt's sisters and brothers were Kasper, Arvid
, Aino
Ellida, Ellen, Armas
, Hilja and Sigrid.
He went to study in Paris
in 1886, where he became friends with Akseli Gallen-Kallela
, Emil Wikström
and Louis Sparre
. He was inspired by the plein-air and naturalistic
paintings of Jules Bastien-Lepage
On a trip to Keuruu
in 1889, he met actress Saimi Swan. They were married in 1890.
His most famous painting is probably The Wage Slaves (Raatajat rahanalaiset or Kaski, from 1893, External link), depicting slash-and-burn agriculture.
Eero Järnefelt was especially inspired by nature in the Koli area, nowadays Koli National Park
. Together with A.W. Finch and Ilmari Aalto, he painted a large scene of Koli in 1911. It can be seen in the restaurant of Helsinki
railway station.
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...
realist
Realism (visual arts)
Realism in the visual arts is a style that depicts the actuality of what the eyes can see. The term is used in different senses in art history; it may mean the same as illusionism, the representation of subjects with visual mimesis or verisimilitude, or may mean an emphasis on the actuality of...
painter
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...
.
Eero Järnefelt was born in Viipuri, Finland
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...
. His father August Aleksander Järnefelt
August Aleksander Järnefelt
August Aleksander Järnefelt , was a Finnish general, topographist, governor and senator.Aleksander Järnefelt was born in Tohmajärvi, the son of crown overseer Gustav Adolf Järnefelt and Aurora Fredrika Molander. Aleksander married Elisabeth Clodt von Jürgensburg at December 22 in 1857 in Saint...
was an officer in the Russia
Russian Empire
The Russian Empire was a state that existed from 1721 until the Russian Revolution of 1917. It was the successor to the Tsardom of Russia and the predecessor of the Soviet Union...
n army and his mother was Elisabeth Järnefelt
Elisabeth Järnefelt
Elisabeth Järnefelt was known as mother of Finnish art and culture....
(née Clodt von Jürgensburg
Clodt von Jürgensburg
Barons Clodt von Jürgensburg were a German-Russian family. Many of its members were prominent artists. Among the notable members of the family were:...
). He studied at the St. Petersburg art academy between 1883 and 1885, the same school at which Albert Edelfelt
Albert Edelfelt
Albert Gustaf Aristides Edelfelt was a Swedish-speaking Finnish painter.Albert Edelfelt was born in Porvoo, Finland. His father Carl Albert was an architect. Edelfelt admired the poet Johan Ludvig Runeberg, who was a friend of the family...
had studied. Eero Järnefelt's sister Aino Järnefelt married composer 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."...
in 1892,
Eero Järnefelt's sisters and brothers were Kasper, Arvid
Arvid Järnefelt
Arvid Järnefelt was a Finnish judge and writer.Arvid's parents were general and governor August Aleksander Järnefelt and Elisabeth Järnefelt .Arvid had nine siblings: Kasper, Erik, Ellida, Ellen, Armas, Aino, Hilja and Sigrid.Arvid Järnefelt married...
, Aino
Aino Sibelius
Aino Sibelius was the wife of Finnish composer Jean Sibelius. They lived most of their 65 years of married life at their home Ainola near Lake Tuusula, Järvenpää, Finland...
Ellida, Ellen, Armas
Armas Järnefelt
Edvard Armas Järnefelt , was a Finnish composer and conductor.Armas Järnefelt was born in Vyborg, in the Grand Duchy of Finland, the son of general August Aleksander Järnefelt and Elisabeth Järnefelt . His siblings were Kasper, Arvid, Erik, Ellida, Ellen, Aino, Hilja and Sigrid...
, Hilja and Sigrid.
He went to study in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
in 1886, where he became friends with Akseli Gallen-Kallela
Akseli Gallen-Kallela
Akseli Gallen-Kallela was a Finnish painter who is best known for his illustrations of the Kalevala, the Finnish national epic . His work was considered very important for the Finnish national identity...
, Emil Wikström
Emil Wikström
Emil Wikström was a Finnish sculptor. Among his best known works are the statues outside Helsinki Central railway station and the memorials of Elias Lönnrot and Johan Vilhelm Snellman....
and Louis Sparre
Louis Sparre
Count Pehr Louis Sparre was a Swedish painter, designer and draughtsman, most noted for his early work in the Finnish national romanticism and jugend styles...
. He was inspired by the plein-air and 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...
paintings of Jules Bastien-Lepage
Jules Bastien-Lepage
Jules Bastien-Lepage , was a French naturalist painter, a style related to the Realist movement.-Life and work:...
On a trip to Keuruu
Keuruu
Keuruu is a town and municipality of Finland.It is located in the province of Western Finland and is part of the Central Finland region.The municipality has a population of and covers an area of of which is water...
in 1889, he met actress Saimi Swan. They were married in 1890.
His most famous painting is probably The Wage Slaves (Raatajat rahanalaiset or Kaski, from 1893, External link), depicting slash-and-burn agriculture.
Eero Järnefelt was especially inspired by nature in the Koli area, nowadays Koli National Park
Koli National Park
Koli National Park is a national park in the municipalities of Joensuu, Lieksa and Kontiolahti in the North Karelia region of Finland. It covers in the forested hills on the western shore of lake Pielinen, and was established in 1991. Contrary to the other national parks in Finland, Koli National...
. Together with A.W. Finch and Ilmari Aalto, he painted a large scene of Koli in 1911. It can be seen in the restaurant of 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...
railway station.