Albert Edelfelt
"HAIKKO TREES IN BLOOM".
Sign. 1901. Oil on canvas 70x64 cm.
Provenance
The work was won by J. Häkli in a raffle arranged by the Finnish Art Society in December 1901; Axel Wallenskiöld; Rolf Öhman; A. Wuokko (according to Hintze, 1953).
Exhibitions
Retretti 1983 no. 168; Pyrri 1988.
Literature
Hintze no. 923.
More information
Albert Edelfelt was very close to his mother Alexandra Edelfelt, who fell seriously ill in summer 1901. Though wheelchair-bound, she remained at the family villa in Haikko on the south coast of Finland, where she could enjoy the splendour of its flower garden. Concerned for his mother’s condition, Albert Edelfelt stayed at his studio painting sketches and studies for the Great Hall of the University of Helsinki. At intervals he nevertheless sat with his mother to admire the colourful garden that the family had lovingly tended for over 30 years.
In a biography of her mother (Alexandra Edelfelt, Helsinki 1921) the artist's sister Berta Edelfelt notes that it was a warm summer and Alexandra was pleased to be able to remain at the family’s summer idyll in Haikko despite her illness. Albert Edelfelt surrounded his Haikko trees in bloom with an effective vignette of white flowers that frames a view of a white sailing boat floating on the Haikkoonselkä watercourse with sails down. The evening sunshine lends a variety of tones to all white surfaces and the jasmine and peonies are in bloom. The dandelions have already flowered and their seeds will soon be flying in the breeze.
The painting exudes symbols of the uncertainty of life. The dandelion fluff will soon fly away and the sailing boat will depart for new harbours. At the end of August Alexandra finally succumbed to Graves’ disease, a disorder of the thyroid. Edelfelt often painted Haikko-themed works as birthday presents for his mother, and might well also have intended this one to be the last, as Alexandra Edelfelt died at Haikko on 26 August 1901, the day after her birthday.
Marina Catani
This item is collected at Iso Roobertinkatu 12 Helsinki after the auction has ended.
Artist
Albert Edelfelt is considered one of Finland's greatest artists of the 19th century. After studying in Antwerp and Paris, he settled in France, where he received several exhibition medals and was honored with the Legion of Honour, notably for the famous portrait of Pasteur. He was also summoned by Alexander III to St. Petersburg to portray the Tsar's children. Edelfelt often returned to themes from Finnish history, such as his illustrations for 'The Tales of Ensign Stål.'
Edelfelt's works display an artistic breadth that ranges from everyday life in the Finnish archipelago to prestigious society portraits and historical paintings. In his depictions of everyday life, he managed to merge traditional academic painting with the new techniques of plein air painting, which achieved great success in France. The painting 'The Funeral of a Child' was awarded a third-class medal at the annual Salon in Paris in 1880, marking the most significant international success for Finnish painting at the time.
Albert Edelfelt is primarily represented in Ateneum in Helsinki, but also in the National Museum in Stockholm, as well as museums in Copenhagen, Luxembourg, and Paris.
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