Mother and Child, 1922

ALVAR CAWÉN
Oil on canvas (45.5 x 42.5 cm)
Purchased: 1986 – Hörhammer
Photograph by Rauno Träskelin

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Alvar Cawén painted several portraits of mothers with children. The composition and the positioning of the two figures in this painting bring to mind the fifteenth-century trope of the Madonna and Child, especially due to the woman’s posture and expressionless profile. These figures are far from idealised, however: the woman’s clothes and headscarf, among other things, bring them firmly down to earth.

The woman is in profile. Her gaze rests on something far away, outside of the frame – or perhaps she is simply lost in thought.

The composition lacks depth; the background is dark and undefined. The figures stand out due to their thick outline, making them seem almost sculpted. The heavy angularity of the scarf, in particular, brings cubism to mind.

The woman’s face has no identifying characteristics, and her age and emotions are hard to determine. The face is almost like an ethnic mask.

In the 1920s, Cawén was drawn to a darker colour palette with natural tones. His composition became more superficial. The paintings from this period are often stark and desolate in mood, and the human figures give a lonely impression.

ALVAR CAWÉN (1886–1935)

Alvar Cawén, painter, 1910–1918.
Finnish Heritage Agency

Alvar Cawén started studying at the Drawing School of The Finnish Art Society in Helsinki in 1905. He travelled extensively around Europe. In the 1910s his style was influenced by modernism, especially during his sojourn in Paris. At that time, Cawén tended to use bright and pure colours.

Cawén was one of the founder members of The November Group, even though he did not fit in with the bohemian stereotype of the other artists in the group. Nor did he adopt the group’s highly expressionist mannerisms. Cawén became known already during his time for certain specific features like elegance, lyrical mysticism and melancholy.

Artists Alvar Cawén and Viktor Jansson in their apartment in Paris, 1912–1914.
Finnish Heritage Agency

In the 1920s, Cawén’s style shifted towards modern classicism. This was especially due to seeing the work of old Italian masters in Italy, while on honeymoon in 1924 with his wife and fellow artist Ragni Holmberg. At the time, Cawén’s style was directed more towards Magic realism.

Headscarf

Berry seller with a customer at Helsinki’s Market Square, 1950s.
Helsinki City Museum

The headscarf has long traditions in Finland. Originally it was part of the outfit worn by women in the countryside. It was a sign of coming of age; girls started using scarves after their Confirmation. City women wore hats instead.

Later (from the 18^th century onwards), the headscarf became a symbol of the lower classes, set apart from the upper classes and their hats. The scarf constituted not only workwear but an ordinary element of both everyday and formal dress. Scarves worn at parties were made from more valuable materials, such as silk. Until the 1950s it was not proper to go out bare-headed in Finland.

Market Square. Herring market. People from the archipelago selling wool and towelling fabric from a boat. 1930s.
Helsinki City Museum. Photograph by Kalle Havas.

ARCHIVAL PHOTOGRAPHS FROM KIRPILÄ

Photograph by Atte Matilainen, 1988
Kirpilä Art Collection Archive

ORIGINAL HANGING

This photograph from the 1980s shows how paintings were placed during Juhani Kirpilä’s time. Kirpilä wanted to keep most of his collection on display at all times, so in places works were hung very close together. These days, the hanging is done safely according to museum practices.

The selection on display varies from time to time, which allows visitors to see the collection from different perspectives. In 2020, a reconstructive exhibition was built based on this photograph, to give an impression of the original hanging and the atmosphere of the home in the 1980s.

RECONSTRUCTION at Kirpilä Art Collection in 2020.
Photograph by Riitta Supperi