Edvard Isto, or Eetu Isto (28 November 1865 – 14 October 1905) was a Finnish artist, best known for his patriotic painting ''
The Attack'' which depicts the perceived
Russification of Finland
The policy of Russification of Finland ( fi, sortokaudet / sortovuodet, lit=times/years of oppression; russian: Русификация Финляндии, translit=Rusyfikatsiya Finlyandii) was a governmental policy of the Russian Empire aimed at ...
by the
Russian Empire
The Russian Empire was an empire and the final period of the Russian monarchy from 1721 to 1917, ruling across large parts of Eurasia. It succeeded the Tsardom of Russia following the Treaty of Nystad, which ended the Great Northern War. ...
. The work was widely reproduced in its original form and in variations.
Biography
![Suomineito](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/39/Suomineito.jpg)
He was the youngest of nine children born to a family of farmers, to Jaakob and Kaisa Liisa Isto,
and the only one who attended school; the nearest of which was six kilometres away. Even so, he was unable to continue beyond the elementary grades, because the nearest secondary school was too far away, in
Oulu
Oulu ( , ; sv, Uleåborg ) is a city, municipality and a seaside resort of about 210,000 inhabitants in the region of North Ostrobothnia, Finland. It is the most populous city in northern Finland and the fifth most populous in the country after: ...
. When he turned eighteen, he went to
Övertorneå
Övertorneå ( fit, Matarengi; fi, Matarenki) is a urban areas of Sweden, locality and the seat of Övertorneå Municipality in Norrbotten County, Sweden with 1,917 inhabitants in 2010.
It is located at the shore of the Torne River, opposite to ...
, in Sweden, to work at a decorating company owned by one of his cousins.
[Pekka Rönkkö (1990) ''Eetu Isto (1865–1905) ja Hyökkäys (1899)'' (Oulu: Ars Nordica) ]
He moved to Helsinki in 1888, where he studied art and design at what is now the "
Aalto University School of Arts, Design and Architecture
Aalto is a Finnish surname meaning "wave". Notable people with the surname include:
* Aino Aalto (1894–1949), Finnish architect and designer
* Alec Aalto (1942–2018), Finnish diplomat
* Alvar Aalto (1898–1976), Finnish architect and design ...
", but could only advance so far, due to his lack of education. Meanwhile, he supported himself by painting and decorating. Among others, he worked for the architect
Karl August Wrede
Karl August Wrede (18 September 1859 – 25 May 1943) was a Finnish-Swedish architect. His buildings are mostly in the Neo-Renaissance and Neo-Gothic styles.
Biography
He was born into a noble family, the Wrede af Elimä, at their manor home. Hi ...
. After this experience, he was able to return to the School of Arts and complete his studies. He may have attended some classes at the
Academy of Fine Arts
The following is a list of notable art schools.
Accredited non-profit art and design colleges
* Adelaide Central School of Art
* Alberta College of Art and Design
* Art Academy of Cincinnati
* Art Center College of Design
* The Art Institute o ...
, and began producing his first canvases.
In 1895, he applied for and received a government grant that enabled him to travel to Berlin, where he studied at the
Prussian Academy of the Arts
The Prussian Academy of Arts (German: ''Preußische Akademie der Künste'') was a state arts academy first established in Berlin, Brandenburg, in 1694/1696 by prince-elector Frederick III, in personal union Duke Frederick I of Prussia, and late ...
. Although he was forced to support himself by house painting and decorating again, he had more time to devote to serious work, especially portraits.
''The Attack''
While studying in Berlin, in response to the
Russification of Finland
The policy of Russification of Finland ( fi, sortokaudet / sortovuodet, lit=times/years of oppression; russian: Русификация Финляндии, translit=Rusyfikatsiya Finlyandii) was a governmental policy of the Russian Empire aimed at ...
, he painted ''The Attack'' (Hyökkäys) which shows the Russian eagle attacking the
Finnish Maiden
The Maiden of Finland ( fi, Suomi-neito, sv, Finlands mö) is the national personification of Finland.
Personification
She is a barefoot young woman in her mid-twenties with blonde hair, blue eyes, wearing a blue and white national costume or ...
. He took it back to Helsinki and displayed it privately at a villa in
Kaivopuisto
Kaivopuisto ( sv, Brunnsparken), nicknamed ''Kaivari'' in Finnish or ''Brunsan'' in Swedish, is one of the oldest and best known parks in central Helsinki, Finland, and also a neighbourhood of about 500 inhabitants where the park is located.
Geo ...
. It may, in fact, have been completed there, as the Maiden resembles the wife of one of Isto's friends. It was reproduced and distributed by the thousands throughout Finland, Germany and Sweden, despite efforts to suppress it.
After a brief return to Berlin, he settled in Alatornio in 1901 where he was a guest of the local
vicar
A vicar (; Latin: ''vicarius'') is a representative, deputy or substitute; anyone acting "in the person of" or agent for a superior (compare "vicarious" in the sense of "at second hand"). Linguistically, ''vicar'' is cognate with the English pref ...
and continued to paint portraits; the best-known being that of the politician and educator . In 1902, however, during a political purge, the vicar was exiled to Siberia. Three years later, Isto accompanied two of the vicar's sons on a visit there and contracted
typhoid fever
Typhoid fever, also known as typhoid, is a disease caused by '' Salmonella'' serotype Typhi bacteria. Symptoms vary from mild to severe, and usually begin six to 30 days after exposure. Often there is a gradual onset of a high fever over several ...
during the journey. He returned to Finland, but his health was fragile and he died of pneumonia shortly after his arrival. In 1936, his grave in Alatornio was decorated with a sculpture based on his famous painting.
References
External links
Eetu Isto@
BlogSpot
Blogger is an American online content management system founded in 1999 which enables multi-user blogs with time-stamped entries. Pyra Labs developed it before being acquired by Google in 2003. Google hosts the blogs, which can be accessed thr ...
. Includes an appreciation of "The Attack" by Väinö Kokko (head of the
Oulun Lyseon Lukio
Oulun Lyseon Lukio (Oulu Lyseo Upper Secondary School) is a Finnish upper secondary school in the city of Oulu in northern Finland. The school has over 60 teachers and about 750 students. In addition to the Finnish national curriculum the school p ...
), a photograph of Isto's grave and newspaper clippings.
* Raija Forsström
"The Attack - a symbol of independence for 100 years" Helsingin Sanomat
''Helsingin Sanomat'', abbreviated ''HS'' and colloquially known as , is the largest subscription newspaper in Finland and the Nordic countries, owned by Sanoma. Except after certain holidays, it is published daily. Its name derives from that of ...
, October 19, 1999.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Isto, Edvard
1865 births
1905 deaths
People from Tornio
People from Oulu Province (Grand Duchy of Finland)
Portrait painters
19th-century Finnish painters
19th-century male artists
Aalto University alumni
Prussian Academy of Arts alumni
Deaths from pneumonia in Finland
Finnish male painters