Woman In A Boat 1924

Pekka Halonen made this oil on canvas painting, Woman in a Boat, sometime in the late 19th or early 20th century. It depicts a woman sitting in a boat in the middle of a lake, perhaps knitting or doing needlework. Halonen was Finnish, and he lived at a time of rising nationalism and cultural self-determination in Finland. This was a time when artists were looking to create distinctly Finnish art that reflected their own cultural identity. Thinkers were questioning whether or not Finnish artists must study in Europe. This image is thought to reflect the national romantic movement which emphasized folk traditions and celebrated nature. Halonen was a member of the group of artists who gathered in Tuusula. Letters and diaries from this time can shed light on how images such as these helped create a distinct national identity.