Alina Forsman (1845–1899) was a

Finnish Finnish may refer to: * Something or someone from, or related to Finland * Culture of Finland * Finnish people or Finns, the primary ethnic group in Finland * Finnish language, the national language of the Finnish people * Finnish cuisine See also ...

sculptor. She is referred to as the first female sculptor in

Finland Finland ( fi, Suomi ; sv, Finland ), officially the Republic of Finland (; ), is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It shares land borders with Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east, with the Gulf of B ...

.kansallisbiografia Suomen kansallisbiografia (National Biography of Finland)

Life

Alina Forsman reportedly had a "burning interest" for the art of sculpture, which was controversial for a woman at the time, as sculpturing, demanding physical labor, was regarded as a masculine subject.Suomen kansallisbiografia (National Biography of Finland) She debuted as a sculptor in 1871. She studied art in

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

and

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in 1873–75 and in

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in 1875–78. She can be regarded as the first female Finnish sculptor rather than Eveliina Särkelä (1847–1939), active just shortly after her, who is normally referred to a such; however, Forsman mainly worked abroad rather than in her native Finland. From 1887 onward, she lived permanently in Germany; first in

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, and later in

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References

kansallisbiografia Suomen kansallisbiografia (National Biography of Finland)
1845 births 1899 deaths 19th-century Finnish sculptors Finnish women sculptors 19th-century Finnish women artists {{Finland-sculptor-stub