Ateneum

Collections

The collections of Ateneum include Finnish art extensively from 18th-century rococo portraiture to the experimental art movements of the 20th century. The collections also include some 650 international works of art. One of them is Vincent van Gogh's Street in Auvers-sur-Oise (1890), which when deposited to Ateneum in 1903 made it the first museum collection in the world to include a Vincent van Gogh painting. Other notable works include Albert Edelfelt’s The Luxembourg Garden (1887), Akseli Gallen-Kallela’s Aino Triptych (1891), Eero Järnefelt’s Under the Yoke (Burning the Brushwood) (1893) and Hugo Simberg’s The Wounded Angel (1903).

Notable works

|Paul Cézanne - The Road Bridge at L'Estaque.jpg|The Road Bridge at L'Estaque, Paul Cézanne, 1879–1882 |Ferdinand von Wright - Taistelevat metsot - 1886 - oljymaalaus - Ateneumin taidemuseo.png|The Fighting Capercaillies, Ferdinand von Wright, 1886 |Albert Edelfelt - Women outside the Church at Ruokolahti - Google Art Project.jpg|Women Outside the Church at Ruokolahti, Albert Edelfelt, 1887 |Helene Schjerfbeck (1862-1946)- The Convalescent - Toipilas - Konvalescenten (32721924996).jpg|The Convalescent, Helene Schjerfbeck, 1888 |Vincent van Gogh - Street in Auvers-sur-Oise.jpg|Street in Auvers-sur-Oise, Vincent van Gogh, 1890 |Gallen Kallela The Aino Triptych.jpg|Aino Myth, Triptych, Akseli Gallen-Kallela, 1891 |Eero Järnefelt (1863-1937)- Under the Yoke (Burning the Brushwood) - Raatajat rahanalaiset - Kaski - Trälar under penningen - Sved (31948645643).jpg|Under the Yoke (Burning the Brushwood), Eero Järnefelt, 1893 |The Wounded Angel - Hugo Simberg.jpg|The Wounded Angel, Hugo Simberg, 1903 |Edvard Munch - Bathing Men (Ateneum).jpg|Bathing Men, Edvard Munch, 1907–1908 |Amedeo Modigliani - Portrait of the Artist Léopold Survage.jpg|Portrait of the Artist Léopold Survage, Amedeo Modigliani, 1918

Architecture

The Ateneum building was designed by Theodor Höijer and completed in 1887.

The facade of Ateneum is decorated with statues and reliefs which contain a lot of symbols. Above the main entrance, in the second floor, are busts of three famous classical artists: architect Bramante, painter Raphael and sculptor Phidias. Above the busts, in the third floor, four caryatids support the pediment. These symbolize the four classical art forms: sculpture, painting, geometry, and architecture. The facade culminates in a collage of sculptures in which the Goddess of Art, Pallas Athene, blesses the products of the different art forms. Below the pediment's collage is the Latin phrase Concordia res parvae crescunt (With concord small things increase), which is usually understood in Helsinki to refer to the long-lasting battle of the Finnish art circles in order to establish the museum. All the statues were by Carl Eneas Sjöstrand.

In between the second floor windows are 16 medallion-style reliefs by Ville Vallgren representing some of Finland's most well known creative people of his day, including painter Aleksander Lauréus, Werner Holmberg and the architect Carl Ludvig Engel. Other ornamental elements were sculpted by Magnus von Wright.

The Ateneum building is owned by Senate Properties (), the government real estate provider.

|Ateneum main facade.jpg|The center sculptures of the facade were sculpted by Carl Eneas Sjöstrand in the 1880s. |Patsaatateneuminkatollamolemmissareunoissa.JPG|"Goddess of Art" and Caryatids |Ateneum Busts.jpg|Busts of the three greats: Raphael, Phidias and Bramante |Medaillon portraits of Ateneum by Ville Vallgren three.jpg|16 artist medallions on the facade by Ville Vallgren, 1887 |Walter Runeberg - Apollo and Marsyas - B I 36 - Finnish National Gallery.jpg|Apollo and Marsyas by Walter Runeberg in 1874, located in the lobby

References

References

1. (January 2, 2013). "Ateneumin kävijämäärässä kaikkien aikojen ennätys". Helsingin Sanomat.
2. (2 October 2018). "Ateneumille uusi johtaja – Kiasmasta siirtyvä Marja Sakari aloittaa joulukuussa". Helsingin Sanomat.
3. (2 December 2018). "Ateneumin uusi johtaja Marja Sakari kertoo HS:n haastattelussa, mihin suuntaan hän haluaa museota viedä ja mitä taide hänelle merkitsee – ”Taiteessa on sellainen totuudellisuus, joka välittyy ihmisille”". Helsingin Sanomat.
4. "International collection". Ateneum Art Museum.
5. "Classics".
6. (8 May 2020). "Näe Suomen taiteen kultakauden rakastetuimmat klassikot – Ateneumin johtaja esittelee näyttelyn helmet videokierroksella". Ilta-Sanomat.
7. "Ateneum building".
8. http://vanderkrogt.net/statues/object.php?webpage=ST&record=fi117 Façade decoration of the Ateneum
9. "Ateneumin taidemuseo".