Isoäiti 1917

Tyko Sallinen made 'Isoäiti' with oil on canvas, creating a tender scene with two women and a baby. The first thing I notice is the way the paint is applied. Look at those chunky brushstrokes. Sallinen must have been really feeling it, you know? Laying down those strokes, building up the forms like a sculptor. The palette is muted – grays, browns, and creams – but there’s a warmth that radiates from the figures. I imagine Sallinen standing before the canvas, squinting, trying to capture the essence of this intimate family moment. I see the influence of artists like Cezanne in Sallinen’s handling of form and space. But there's something very personal here. What do you think he was trying to say about family, about motherhood, about the human condition? It’s like he's inviting us to contemplate the beauty and complexity of everyday life. The thick paint echoes across time and generations. It's one painting speaking to another.