The Family Heirloom

The Finnish National Gallery recently begun to publish the reproductions of the masterpieces from their collection - thanks to Europeana we will publish their works every Sunday for the next four weeks. Enjoy! :)

Helene Schjerfbeck (1862–1946) is most widely known for her realist works and portraits. During her life, the style of her work changed dramatically.

The Family Heirloom is an example of Schjerfbeck's mature style, drawing on French Modernism. It depicts neighbors of Schjerfbeck, Jenny and Impi Tamlander, who ran errands for Schjerfbeck and her mother and helped look after the family home. In thinking about The Family Heirloom, Schjerfbeck first concentrated on the composition and left female figures stylized. The red background adds warmth, while the red lips and jewel box create rhythm. Schjerfbeck's stylization, flat color surfaces, and lack of perspective reflect the interest in Japanese woodcuts felt by most artists of the period.

The original composition also included the artist's brother Magnus: “I've been thinking about picture, of my brother with a red box in his hand and two other heads bent over it, to be called 'Family Heirloom'. The motif is the leaning of the three heads, perhaps with high background, in red.” (Letter to Einar Reuter Aug 27, 1915)

Schjerfbeck later cut down the right part of the composition to remove Magnus, thereby focusing attention on the girls.