Sateenkaari 1914

Curator: Tyko Sallinen painted "Sateenkaari", or "Rainbow," in 1914. It’s an oil painting. Editor: The impasto is striking! Thick, almost crude strokes of paint capture such a raw, immediate impression. I almost feel the wind and dampness. Curator: Indeed. The heavy application speaks to Expressionism's broader aims—a direct pipeline to emotional states, circumventing academic restraint. Consider the cultural milieu of 1914, on the eve of the Great War, art increasingly reflected social anxieties and a move toward bolder aesthetic statements. Editor: And look how Sallinen handles the pigment. It's not just expressive; there's an active construction happening with each stroke, almost a rejection of traditional illusionism. It feels almost sculptured. How might contemporary paint manufacture have impacted these thick applications? Curator: The availability of pre-mixed oil paints in tubes certainly democratized the medium, granting artists greater portability and immediacy. Yet, it's important not to romanticize the material ease; many Expressionists like Sallinen actively rejected a smooth, polished finish to challenge bourgeois notions of taste. Editor: I wonder, could the rainbow—traditionally a symbol of hope—be interpreted with skepticism here? It seems to struggle to break through a brooding landscape, maybe an early warning about looming political turmoil. Curator: Precisely. The rainbow becomes fraught with irony when viewed against the backdrop of impending global conflict. It points to the limitations of such conventional symbolism when weighed against socio-political realities. Sallinen engages in a wider European artistic trend that reconsiders inherited tropes. Editor: Seeing how the artist visibly employed materiality here—laying down those marks—makes you think about all that goes into making a painting, from manufacture to intention. Curator: Ultimately, this painting invites us to delve deeper than just the visible spectrum, prompting introspection about art's purpose during periods of uncertainty.