Nordic Dawn - Stephan Koja

Nearly eighty masterpieces of Finnish painting, offer an opportunity to explore the range of the country's art at the dawn of the twentieth century. Finnish art holds an important place in the development of Modernism. At the turn of the century, the country blossomed-its native culture, breathtaking landscapes, and vitality helped fuel a movement that celebrated youth, energy, colour, and non-traditional representation. This survey, presented in brilliant colour, also includes the substantial contributions made by Finnish women artists. It features: more than two hundred reproductions; bibliography; maps; fascinating essays, which explore the fundamental role that art played in shaping a sense of national identity in fin-de-siecle Finland; and Lake Keitele by Finnish artist, Akseli Gallen-Kallela (1865 - 1931). Lake Keitele, bought by the National Gallery in 1999, was recently voted by broadcaster Jon Snow writing in "Art Quarterly" magazine, as his chief inspiration and favourite painting of all time.