Love

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

Joel Jalmari Ruokokoski, known as Jali (1886-1936) was a Finnish Expressionist painter. He is considered the first true bohemian artist in Finland. He was a very social person who loved to party. He was also passionate about circus and theatre. Although most of his works were landscapes and still-lifes, he is probably best known for a series of portraits painted mostly during the 1910s.

‘Love’ is one of these striking portraits. Laura Franciska Elvira Bono was a Swedish-Italian circus artist and tightrope walker. She was a teenager when ahe and Ruokokoski got married after a brief courtship - on 5 March 1910.

Thanks to a scholarship, the artist and his love were able to travel to Paris - there Ruokokoski was introduced to the work of the Impressionists. But just before leaving for Paris, Ruokokoski painted this portrait of his love in a candle light, with her pale skin and an intense gaze. He named the painting ‘Love’ and gave to his friend Yrjö Ollila.