Juhani Kirpilä (1931–1988)
Juhani Kirpilä (1931–1988), the only child of a genteel family, became known to his friends and to the public as an adventurous gourmand, a passionate art lover, a seasoned world traveller, an esteemed rheumatologist, an avid reader, a skilful investor, a prolific writer, a keen motorist, and more.
Photograph: Riitta Supperi
Juhani and Kalle moved to a 350-square-metre apartment at no. 7 Pohjoinen Hesperiankatu in the Helsinki district of Töölö, in December 1979. This final home of Juhani’s offered enough space for the continually growing collection, even though the new square footage fuelled his collecting to a near-manic level in the 1980s. The apartment, situated in the ‘Doctors’ House’ originally built by the pharmaceutical company Medica, played host to the unforgettable Chestnut Flower Parties that Juhani and Kalle would throw for their friends at the time of the blossoming of the horse chestnuts on Hesperiankatu each June. Juhani died in his sleep during a siesta on 3 August 1988, worn down by the strain caused by heart disease and other health issues.