Art Museum
Ateneum
Image: Wikimedia Commons.
Ateneum is an art museum in Helsinki, Finland.
About Ateneum
Overview & Identity
The Ateneum is a premier art museum located in the heart of Helsinki, Finland, situated on the south side of Rautatientori square near the Central railway station. It serves as the home of Finnish art and is one of the three museums comprising the Finnish National Gallery, alongside Kiasma and the Sinebrychoff Art Museum. Before 1991, the building also housed the Finnish Academy of Fine Arts and the University of Art and Design Helsinki. The institution holds the distinction of possessing Finland's oldest and largest collection of art, representing the nation's artistic heritage from the 18th century to the present day.
History & Founding
The story of the Ateneum dates back to 1887, the year the museum was founded and the building was completed. Its original purpose was to serve as an art school and a meeting place for artists, reflecting the long-lasting battle of Finnish art circles to establish a dedicated national institution. The Latin phrase 'Concordia res parvae crescunt' (With concord small things increase), inscribed on the facade, is understood to refer to this collective effort. The museum has since grown from its initial role to become a central pillar of the Finnish art scene, constantly organizing exhibitions that offer insight into the diversity of art.
Building & Architecture
The Ateneum building was designed by architect Theodor Höijer and completed in 1887. The facade is richly decorated with symbolic sculptures and reliefs, all created by Carl Eneas Sjöstrand. Above the main entrance on the second floor are busts of three classical artists: architect Bramante, painter Raphael, and sculptor Phidias. Above these, four caryatids support the pediment, symbolizing the four classical art forms: sculpture, painting, geometry, and architecture. The facade culminates in a sculpture of Pallas Athene, the Goddess of Art, blessing the products of these forms. Between the second-floor windows are 16 medallion-style reliefs by Ville Vallgren depicting notable Finnish creative figures, including Aleksander Lauréus and Werner Holmberg. The building is currently owned by Senate Properties.
Collection Highlights & Notable Works
The Ateneum boasts Finland's largest collection of paintings and sculptures, comprising nearly 30,000 national treasures. The collection spans from 18th-century Rococo portraiture to 20th-century experimental movements, including Finnish expressionism, impressionism, cubism, and surrealism. A significant highlight is Vincent van Gogh's 'Street in Auvers-sur-Oise' (1890), which, upon its deposit in 1903, made the Ateneum the first museum in the world to include a Van Gogh painting. Other masterpieces include Akseli Gallen-Kallela's 'Aino Triptych' (1891) and 'Lemminkäinen's Mother', Hugo Simberg's 'The Wounded Angel' (1903), Albert Edelfelt's 'The Luxembourg Garden' (1887), and works by Eero Järnefelt, Helene Schjerfbeck, and Edvard Munch. The museum also holds over 650 international works and an extensive archive of drawings, sketches, and sketchbooks essential for art research.
Significance & Legacy
The Ateneum is widely regarded as Finland's best-known and most respected art museum, with its holdings ingrained in the collective memory of the Finnish people. It plays a crucial role in preserving and presenting the formation of Finnish art and its institutions. The museum actively lends works to exhibitions domestically and internationally, mobilizing its collection to reach wider audiences. In recent years, acquisition strategies have focused on increasing the representation of female artists and works depicting 20th-century urban life in Finland. The museum's collection continues to grow through acquisitions and donations, ensuring a comprehensive overview of Finnish art history up to the present day.
Plan your visit
Ateneum
- Website
- www.ateneum.fi