Magnus Enckell

Retrospective of a radical reformist

Magnus Enckell is one of the key artists of the golden age of Finnish art in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and yet only some of his work is known. The Ateneum exhibition offers a diverse overview of Enckell’s entire oeuvre from five different decades.

The exhibition and the book to be published in conjunction with it shed light on the artist’s many facets. Enckell, on the one hand, promoted radical reforms in art, but, on the other, relied on the traditions of culture and education. He was a dreamer, but also an international man of the world, a curator of exhibitions, the chairman of the Artists’ Association of Finland, and a creator of monumental works. Music, theatre, and literature were all important to this diversely educated artist.

The exhibition presents many previously unknown works, sketchbooks, pieces from Enckell’s extensive body of drawings, and photographs from his own archive. The exhibition presents Enckell’s work, from the early pieces he created when studying at a drawing school to the mythological works of the 1920s.

The exhibition curators are the director of the Ateneum, Marja Sakari; the director of collections management at the Finnish National Gallery, Riitta Ojanperä; and the chief curator of exhibitions at the Ateneum, Anna-Maria von Bonsdorff.

Guided tours and exhibition intros

Free exhibition intros in English are arranged on even-numbered weeks on Sundays at 12:00. Exhibition intros are held in the Ateneum Hall, where you can sit comfortably while listening to an expert present the content and background of exhibitions. 

The next exhibition intros:

Order a guided tour for your group

Guided tour: Magnus Enckell

Private tours present the museum’s collections and exhibitions during general opening hours. Ateneum’s guides provide fascinating insights into exhibitions by focusing on specific works of art.

Languages: Finnish, Swedish, English, Russian, German and French
Price: €95 + tickets
Group size: Max. 10 persons
Length: 1 h

Exhibition intro: Magnus Enckell

Exhibition intros are held in the Ateneum Hall, where you can sit comfortably while listening to an expert present the content and background of exhibitions. Images of the art are displayed at the same time. Following the intro you can enjoy the exhibition at your own pace.

Languages: Finnish, Swedish, English and Russian
Price: €75 + tickets
Group size: Max. 18 persons
Length: 30–40 min

Guided tour: Human images – queer perspectives

On this guided tour, we come together to explore the diversity and representation of identities, genders and sexualities in an exhibition that provides a comprehensive overview of Magnus Enckell’s work. You are welcome to take a queer-eye tour with us!

Languages: Finnish and English
Price: €95 + tickets
Group size: Max. 10 persons
Length: 1 h

Gallery

Photos of the exhibition