"Joy of Life"
Not signed. Oil on canvas, 101x155 cm.
Wear due to age and use.
Provenance
Purchased from Galerie Hörhammer's sales exhibition "Finnish Painting from 11 Decades" in November 1963. In the same family's possession since then.
More information
The original sketch for this motif was executed on Högsåra in the Turku archipelago where a few young ladies kindly posed as models.
The work expresses the artist's characteristic bright disposition and his spontaneous joy in summer, sunshine, and the sea. It was largely this motif that inspired the painter and art critic Sigrid Schauman to refer to Salokivi as "the Sun Singer of Finnish art."
The painting also showcases Salokivi's unique talent for rhythm and elegance, and the motif is generally regarded as his main work.
