The Ateneum houses Finnish paintings and sculptures from the 18th century to
the 1950s. There's also a small, interesting collection of 19th- and
early-20th-century foreign art, including Auguste Rodin's bronze The Thinker,
and paintings by Van Gogh, Gaugin and Cezanne. From portraits and hunting
scenes of the Romantic Period, the story continues through landscapes by
artists of the Düsseldorf School,
then turn-of-the-century Parisian influences, the beginnings of realism,
symbolism and some of the most ambitious examples of the Golden Era.
International influences can be detected in Finnish Expressionism,
Impressionism, Cubism and Surrealism.
The Finnish National Gallery's other main museum, the Sinebrychoff, contains
the largest collection of Italian, Dutch and Flemish paintings in Finland.
The museum also features Russian and Karelian icons, silver, china and
furniture.
National Museum
of Finland
The National Museum of Finland presents Finnish life from prehistoric times
to the present. The permanent exhibition is divided into five departments. The
Treasure Troves contains the museum’s collections of coins, medals,
decorations, silver and weapons. The Prehistory of Finland is Finland’s
largest archaeological exhibition from sites throughout the country. The Realm
tells of the history of Finnish culture and society from the Middle Ages until
the beginning of the 20th century. A Land and Its People presents rural life in
Finland before
industrialization. The Past Century features independent Finland
and its culture in the 20th century.
Museum of Cultures
The Museum of Cultures hold the Ethnographic collections and Finno-Ugrian
collections of the National Museum of Finland, which in total number
around 40 000 objects. Since the beginning of 19th century, Finnish explorers, scientists,
and others have added the collections. The Ethnographic collection contains
objects from all continents. The founding object in this collection is the
rare Salish ceremonial blanket from the North-West America, catalogued in 1828.
Objects for the Finno-Ugrian
collections have been gathered from all Finno-Ugrian nations. The most valuable
objects from the late 19th century and early 20th century were collected on
expeditions whose purpose was to discover the origins of the Finnish language and
people.