Artwork
Self-Portrait
Self-Portrait is an oil painting by Väinö Kunnas. It dates from 1926 and is held in the collection of the Finnish National Gallery.
About this work
Overview
Created in 1926, this oil painting is a self‑portrait by Finnish artist Väinö Kunnas. Executed during his early period, the work presents the painter seated before a loosely rendered backdrop of greens, blues and yellows. The composition centers on his face, which meets the viewer’s gaze with a measured, contemplative expression.
Subject & Meaning
The portrait shows Kunnas dressed in a blue shirt, a dark tie and a light‑toned jacket, attire that underscores his role as a professional artist. By looking directly at the audience, the figure invites a personal connection, while the sober demeanor reflects the introspective mood common to many self‑representations of the era.
Technique & Style
Executed with careful brushwork, the painting balances realistic detail—particularly in the rendering of facial features and fabric textures—with a broader, more expressive handling of the background. Kunnas employs a restrained palette, allowing subtle shifts of light and shadow to model the form and to generate a modest sense of spatial depth.
History & Provenance
The work belongs to the collection of the Ateneum, Finland’s national gallery, where it has been displayed as part of the museum’s holdings of early 20th‑century Finnish art. It represents a stage in Kunnas’s career before his later shift toward abstraction, offering insight into his development as an expressionist painter.
Own this work as a print
Artist & collection
Artist
Väinö Ilmari Kunnas (12 April 1896 in Vyborg – 10 February 1929 in Helsinki) was a Finnish Expressionist painter.
