Ilmarinen ploughing the Viper-field and The Defense of the Sampo 1928

Akseli Gallen-Kallela made this mural, Ilmarinen ploughing the Viper-field and The Defense of the Sampo, with expressive line work, and a palette of ochre, red, green, and blue. Can you imagine him up there on scaffolding, figuring out how to make this scene work on such a huge scale? I can almost feel the shift of his weight as he stretches up to reach the top of the arch to paint the figures in the boat. Look at the way he uses thin washes of color and frenetic lines to depict chaos and conflict. You can see how the paint pools and drips in certain areas, creating texture and depth. I wonder, what was he trying to emphasize? The drama of the battle? The sweeping lines of the figures as they row the boat? This work reminds me of Tintoretto's large scale history paintings, full of movement and drama. All painters are always talking to each other like this, and Gallen-Kallela adds to the dialogue. Painting becomes a way of embodying the tensions and ambiguities of life itself. It’s a place where multiple interpretations can coexist, inviting us to contemplate the story and its endless possibilities.