Artwork
Merimiehenkatu 17
Merimiehenkatu 17 is a drawing by Rudolf Åkerblom. It dates from 1897 and is held in the collection of the Helsinki City Museum.
About this work
Overview
Rudolf Åkerblom’s drawing titled Merimiehenkatu 17 dates from around 1897. Executed in pencil, the image captures a modest wooden dwelling with a sloping roof, chimney, and a porch bench, set against a muted sky and damp ground.
Subject & Meaning
The composition presents a solitary house framed by a leafless tree and an open cart containing two sizable crates, suggesting everyday domestic activity. The simplicity of the scene evokes a quiet, perhaps rural, moment of ordinary life.
Technique & Style
Åkerblom employs light, cross‑hatching pencil strokes to render texture and shadow on the walls, roof, and cart. The delicate handling of tone conveys the worn surface of the building and the dampness of the terrain, while the minimal line work defines forms without excess detail.
History & Provenance
Created circa 1897, the work is part of Åkerblom’s late‑nineteenth‑century output, a period when he produced numerous sketches of Finnish streetscapes and interiors. Its provenance traces back to private collections before entering public holdings, though specific ownership details remain limited.
Artist & collection
