Reidar Särestöniemi

Reidar Särestöniemi (1925–1981) drew inspiration for his art from the northern nature of his home region, where he lived and worked. His breakthrough in the 1960s was followed by the construction of his studio and home Honkapirtti on his homestead by the river Ounas in Kittilä. Here, Särestöniemi created his vibrant, colourful landscapes of Lapland until the atelier was destroyed by fire on New Year's Eve 1977. Shocked by the loss, the artist did not paint for the following year, only resuming his work after completing a new studio at the end of the year.
The first exhibition following the completion of the new studio was held in Vaasa in 1979. This exhibition turned out to be Särestöniemi's last solo show in his home country, as he unexpectedly passed away two years later at the age of 56. "Old Village Welcomes the Winter" was one of the twelve works displayed at the exhibition. The piece was acquired from the exhibition for a private collection, where it has remained to this day.
In "The Old Village Welcomes the Winter" (1979), a village by a river or the sea lies silent, awaiting winter. The grey log houses are covered with snow, and the autumn-coloured landscape is blanketed by the first snowfall. The rays of the setting sun still linger on the horizon.
By the time this work was completed, Särestöniemi's use of colour was evolving, influenced by both the lighting conditions in his new studio and his changing artistic approach. The intense colour palette inspired by Lapland's nature began to mellow towards the end of his career, with strong contrasts and bright hues giving way to shades of white, bluish silver-grey, and brown.

The cycles of nature and the changing seasons were integral to Särestöniemi's world. For him, spring and summer were intense but fleeting periods of light and colour, while the long darkness of winter was oppressive and enforced stillness. It was only in the final years of his life that he began to embrace winter. The old village depicted in the work now for sale also seems to welcome the approaching winter with a sense of calm and serenity.