Gallen-Kallela Museum outside of Helsinki

[defaultet]

Just wondering, has anyone gone to the Gallen-Kallela Museum? http://www.gallen-kallela.fi/english.html. It's in a suburb of Helsinki.

 

Here's more info about the artist. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Akseli_Gallen-Kallela. I'm not sure how big the museum is, but it sounds interesting. Unfortunately, I think most of his famous paintings are located at bigger museums, such as the Turku Art Museum. So I think this museum may have a lot of less known works, such as sketches and things like that.

 

So, anyone been?

[LucyH]

Yes, the place you're talking about is called Tarvaspää. It is not too far from the centre of town and a visit would take 2-3 hours. I love the place, but not so much for the paintings. As you say, Gallen-Kallela's best-known works are elsewhere.

 

This is where he lived and worked, painting extravagant themes from nature and mythology. Now it's a museum to his life. There's not much to see inside but its simplicity is charming.

 

Tarvaspää is on Laajalahti Bay. To get there by public transport, take tram 4 to its head stop in Munkkiniemi. It's a trip of about 20 minutes from the centre. Then walk down the road to the sea and turn right.

 

The route takes you along the coast, first along a road and then on a footpath that continues through a forest and over a couple of pontoon bridges. From the tram stop it's just over two kilometres (1¼ miles) with very pretty scenery, at least towards the sea.

 

Gallen-Kallela is Finland's Hemingway, a man with a great macho image, outgoing and elegant, living in Kenya, Paris and the US at different times. In reality he was rather devoted to wife Mary and his inlaws, who gave him the land to build the studio on.

 

He had Tarvaspää built to resemble a medieval castle and a Renaissance palazzo at the same time. It certainly looks odd. The paintings, letters and books there show the lives of the upper classes at the start of the 20th century.

 

There's an excellent cafe with fresh cakes and a fine sea view. If you run short of time or breath for the walk back, the staff can call you a taxi or advise on how and where to get a local service bus.

 

This has turned out a bit long, but I hope it helps.

 

- Lucy

[defaultet]

Hi Lucy,

 

Thank you for your description. This does sound like something interesting and worthwhile. For people in port for just the day, though, do you think it is a good choice? Just wondering if maybe there are other things that might make for a better use of time.

 

I was looking at the Ateneum Museum and it sounds very neat. I'll be in Helsinki in September so it looks like I miss the 'Kalevala' exhibition, which looks really interesting. http://www.ateneum.fi/default.asp?docId=15944. It seems to end in August. But it seems like the regular permanent collection has plenty of works by Finnish artists.

 

For you personally, if you had to choose between Gallen-Kallela and the Ateneum, which would you choose and why?

 

Thanks for your advice,

Erik

[janetcbl]

Ateneum definetly! It is a fine museum, not too big, and has a great overview of Finnish art. There are some fine works by Aksell Gallen-Kalleia there. If you want to see a fantastic work by Gallen-Kalleia, visit the Nationalmuseet, which has his large frescoes of the legends of the Kalevala in the entrance hall. The Nationalmuseet is not far from the Ateneum, close by Finlandia Hall. Enjoy your time in Helsinki: it is a wonderful city!

[LucyH]

For you personally, if you had to choose between Gallen-Kallela and the Ateneum, which would you choose and why?

 

If you've not been to Helsinki before and only have a few hours in port, then I'd stay downtown, where the Ateneum is. A trip to Tarvaspää is like a stroll out into the country, with not much art at the end of it.

 

The Ateneum has a nice, quirky collection, Just 500 yards/metres away is Kiasma, the Museum of Contemporary Art, which is not great but worth about half an hour of your time.

 

Farther up Mannerheim Road from Kiasma, past the Parliament Building, you'll see the fairytale spire of the National Museum but I'd give that one a miss unless you're absolutely goofy for history. It's gloomy and dusty inside, and the smell wafting up from the kitchen in the basement will put you off your lunch.

 

Well, you did ask my opinion, Erik. Have a great time.

 

Lucy