About Akseli Gallen-Kallela
Grand Duchy of Finland · 1865–1931 · Romanticism, Symbolism, romantic nationalism
Finland's defining national artist, whose Kalevala paintings of the 1890s established the visual language of Finnish independence.
Read full biography →Akseli Gallen-Kallela's works are held in 11 museums worldwide, including Finnish National Gallery, Nationalmuseum, and Didrichsen Art Museum.
🇦🇹 Austria
1 museum
🇫🇮 Finland
2 museums
- 138 works
Finnish National Gallery
Helsinki, Finland
Also here
🇫🇷 France
1 museum
- 1 works
Musée d'Orsay
Paris, France
Tue–Sun 09:30–18:00 (Thu until 21:45); closed Mon€16 adultsSolférino (12 (Métro); RER C)Confirm on museum website before visiting.
🇭🇺 Hungary
1 museum
- 1 works
Hungarian National Gallery
Budapest, Hungary
Also hereBertalan Szekely (46)Vilmos Aba-Novak (28)Endre Balint (12)Aladar Korosfoi-Kriesch (10)Egry József (10)August von Pettenkofen (9)
🇳🇴 Norway
1 museum
- 2 works
Sparebankstiftelsen DNB’s collection
Oslo Municipality, Norway
Also here
🇷🇺 Russia
1 museum
- 1 works
Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts
Moscow, Russia
🇸🇪 Sweden
2 museums
- 3 works
Nationalmuseum
Stockholm, Sweden
Tue 11:00–20:00; Wed–Sun 11:00–17:00; closed MonFree (permanent collection)Kungsträdgården (Blå (10, 11))Confirm on museum website before visiting. - 1 works
Gothenburg Museum of Art
Gothenburg Municipality, Sweden
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
1 museum
- 1 works
National Gallery
Trafalgar Square, United Kingdom
Daily 10:00–18:00 (Fri until 21:00)FreeCharing Cross (Bakerloo, Northern)Confirm on museum website before visiting.
🇺🇸 United States
1 museum
- 1 works
Art Institute of Chicago
Chicago, United States
Frequently Asked Questions
Who was Akseli Gallen-Kallela?
Akseli Gallen-Kallela was a Finnish artist known for his large-scale mural paintings. Born Axel Waldemar Gallén in 1865[2], he studied in Helsinki and Paris before returning to Finland to create paintings that would come to define Finnish national art. He changed his name in 1907[2] as an act of cultural allegiance.What is Akseli Gallen-Kallela known for?
Akseli Gallen-Kallela is known for his Kalevala series, which includes works such as "Lemminkäinen's Mother" (1897[2]), "The Defence of the Sampo" (1896), and "The Forging of the Sampo" (1893). These large-format oils translate the oral epic into monumental images.What was Akseli Gallen-Kallela's art style?
Akseli Gallen-Kallela's art style used bold flat colour, strong outlines, and an intensity of emotion. The Symbolist movement provided the vocabulary for this intensity.
Sources
Where to See guide aggregates verified holdings of Akseli Gallen-Kallela's works across the following collections.
- [1] academic The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica, Akseli Gallen-Kallela | Finnish artist | Britannica Used for: biography.
- [2] wikipedia Wikipedia: Akseli Gallen-Kallela Used for: biography.
- [3] book Brodskaya Nathalia, Brodskaya Nathalia - Symbolism Used for: biography.
- [4] book guggenheim-guhe00solo Used for: biography.
- [5] book Masterpieces of western art : a history of art in 900 individual studies from the Gothic to the present day Used for: biography.
- [6] museum Akseli Gallen-Kallela (1865 - 1931) | National Gallery, London Used for: biography.
- [7] museum Akseli Gallen-Kallela | Lake Keitele | NG6577 | National Gallery, London Used for: notable works.
- [8] museum Akseli Gallen-Kallela | MoMA Used for: museum holdings.
Editorial overseen by Solis Prints. Sources verified 2026-05-15. Click a source for details, or hover over [N] in the page above to preview.
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