Sunset over a Lake

The present work probably shows a view over the Lake Pielinen near Koli in eastern Finland, a subject which the artist favoured. It shows a strong influence from Japanese prints. Born in Vyborg, his father Finnish and mother from Russia, Järnefelt was brought up speaking Finnish at a time when the Swedish language still carried greater prestige. Born Erik, he Finnicised his name to Eero, just as his fellow artist Axel Gallén later renamed himself Akseli Gallen-Kallela. He studied at the St Petersburg academy under his uncle, and later travelled to Italy and Paris with Gallen. He first visited Koli in North Karelia in 1892, two years before the present work. The leading artistic personalities of Järnefelt's generation, from Jean Sibelius to Akseli Gallen-Kallela, regarded Karelia as a lost paradise, and an embodiment of the authentic soul of Finland. 1893 saw the first performance of the Karelia Suite by Sibelius, Järnefelt's brother-in-law.