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 (; ; ) was a governmental policy of the Russian Empire aimed at limiting the special status of the Grand Duchy of Finland and possibly the termination of its political autonomy and cultural uniqueness in 18 ...

by the

Russian Empire The Russian Empire was an empire that spanned most of northern Eurasia from its establishment in November 1721 until the proclamation of the Russian Republic in September 1917. At its height in the late 19th century, it covered about , roughl ...

. The work was widely reproduced in its original form and in variations.

Biography

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 ( , ; ) is a city in Finland and the regional capital of North Ostrobothnia. It is located on the northwestern coast of the country at the mouth of the Oulujoki, River Oulu. The population of Oulu is approximately , while the Oulu sub-regio ...

. When he turned eighteen, he went to

Övertorneå Övertorneå (; ) 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 (Finnish and Swedish river), Torne River, oppos ...

, 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 Helsinki () is the Capital city, capital and most populous List of cities and towns in Finland, city in Finland. It is on the shore of the Gulf of Finland and is the seat of southern Finland's Uusimaa region. About people live in the municipali ...

in 1888, where he studied art and design at what is now the "

Aalto University School of Arts, Design and Architecture Aalto University School of Arts, Design and Architecture; ; ), was formed of two separate schools: the faculty of architecture (previously part of the Helsinki University of Technology) and the University of Art and Design Helsinki (UIAH, known in ...

", 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. 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 ...

, 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 () was a state arts academy first established in 1694 by prince-elector Frederick III of Brandenburg in Berlin, in personal union Duke Frederick I of Prussia, and later king in Prussia. After the Accademia dei Linc ...

. 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

, he painted ''The Attack'' (Hyökkäys) which shows the Russian eagle attacking the

Finnish Maiden The Maiden of Finland ( , ) 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 a white dress. She was origina ...

. He took it back to Helsinki and displayed it privately at a villa in

Kaivopuisto Kaivopuisto (), 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. Geography To the sou ...

. 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 p ...

and continued to paint portraits; the best-known being that of the politician and educator

Mauno Rosendal Magnus (Mauno) Rosendal (8 September 1848 – 21 October 1917) was a Finnish educator and politician, born in Hämeenkyrö. He was a member of the Diet of Finland from 1905 to 1906 and of the Parliament of Finland The Parliament of Finl ...

. 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 simply as typhoid, is a disease caused by '' Salmonella enterica'' serotype Typhi bacteria, also called ''Salmonella'' Typhi. Symptoms vary from mild to severe, and usually begin six to 30 days after exposure. Often th ...

during the journey. He returned to Finland, but his health was failing 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
@

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. 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 pr ...

), a photograph of Isto's grave and newspaper clippings. * Raija Forsström
"The Attack - a symbol of independence for 100 years"

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 the Finnish capital ...

, October 19, 1999. {{DEFAULTSORT:Isto, Edvard 1865 births 1905 deaths People from Tornio People from Oulu Province (Grand Duchy of Finland) Finnish portrait painters 19th-century Finnish painters 19th-century Finnish male artists Aalto University alumni Prussian Academy of Arts alumni Deaths from pneumonia in Finland Finnish male painters Artists from the Russian Empire