Wäinö Valdemar Aaltonen (8 March 1894 – 30 May 1966) was a Finnish artist and sculptor. The Chambers Biographical Dictionary describes him as "one of the leading Finnish sculptors".Chambers Biographical Dictionary, , page 1
He was born to a tailor in the village of Karinainen, Finland. He attended the School of Drawing of the Turku Art Association from age 16, or specifically between 1910 and 1915.Schildt, Göran, Modern Finnish Sculpture. Praeger Publishers, New York, 1970 He had spent many of the early years at this school studying painting under Victor Westerholm, but he was mainly self-taught as a sculptor. He learned the technics of treatment of marble with his relative Aarre Aaltonen, and by working as a trainee stonemason in Hirvensalo. Sculptor Felix Nylund was a substitute teacher in the art school in Turku for one season, and his work was inspiration for young Aaltonen.
A journey Aaltonen made to Italy in 1923 opened his eyes to cubist and futurist art. These elements can primarily be seen in his paintings.
As the Republic of Finland arose, and the First World War raged, he sculpted War Memorials. He soon became a nationalist icon, the exemplar Finn, establishing an exhibition in Stockholm in 1927. His sculpture is nationalist in nature, and he is noted for monumental figures and busts portraying citizens of Finland. An example is the 1925 sculpture of Paavo Nurmi, a cast of which is exhibited outside the Helsinki stadium. A fourth cast of the statue was donated by the Republic of Finland to the park of the Olympic Museum of the International Olympic Committee in Lausanne, Switzerland. Another notable work is that of Jean Sibelius, a bust of 1928. These two works, like the main body of his work, are bronze casts—though he did work in stone and even glass. Though chiefly naturalistic, the cubist influence is also present here. He was one of the early 20th-century pioneers of direct carving.
When the new House of Parliament for Finland was built, architect Johan Sigfrid Sirén wished he could buy sculptures directly from Aaltonen. Instead, an open competition was announced, and Aaltonen's Work and the Future was selected as the winner. The series of gilded sculptures that Aaltonen completed in 1932 were cast in bronze after his death.
Aaltonen was married four times. His first wife was singer Aino Alisa Pietikäinen from 1920, second wife actor Elsa Emilia Rantalainen from 1931, third wife gallerist in Galerie Artek Elvi Elisabet Hernell from 1942 and fourth wife medical doctor Marie Elisabeth Maasik from year 1961. His son Matti Aaltonen became an architect, who with Irma Aaltonen designed the Wäinö Aaltonen Museum of Art in Turku.
Works
Tytön pää, n. 1917 Graniittipoika, 1917–1920 Maria Jotuni, 1918–1920 Opettajani, 1919 Aaro Hellaakosken pronssipää, 1919 Savonlinnan sankaripatsas, (The Hero's Grave) 1919–1921 Punagraniittinen neito, 1923 Mustagraniittinen neito, 1924 Paavo Nurmi runner statue, 1924–1925 Seisova nainen, 1920–1924 Istuva nainen, 1920–1925 Uimaan lähtevä nainen, 1924 Turun Lilja, n. 1924–1926 Musica, 1926 Aleksis Kivi statue (Tampere), 1926–1927 Statues on Hämeensilta bridge, Tampere: Eränkävijä (the Hunter), Veronkantaja (the Tax Collector), Kauppias (the Merchant) ja Suomen neito (the Maiden of Finland), 1927–1929 Myrsky (Memorial statue for the 53 victims of the sunken Finnish torpedo boat S2 in Reposaari, Pori), 1930 Statues in the plenary chamber of Parliament House 1930–1932 Aleksis Kivi Memorial (Helsinki), 1930–1939 Marjatta, 1934 Delaware-muistomerkki, 1937–1938 Vapauden jumalatar seppelöi nuoruuden, 1939–1940 Memorial of the Battle of Kämärä, 1939/1949 Tampereen Osuustoimintamuistomerkki, 1949–1950 Ystävyys solmitaan (Joint monument for the cities of Turku and Gothenburg), n. 1948–1955 Lahden sankaripatsas, 1952 Rautatienrakentajien muistomerkki, 1957, Hyvinkää Genius ohjaa nuoruutta (in front of the University of Turku main library), 1958–1960 Statues of presidents in front of Parliament house: K. J. Ståhlberg, 1957–1958; P. E. Svinhufvud, 1957–1959 Genius Montanus (on Aaltonen's grave in Turku), 1960 Johannes Gutenberg, 1962 (Büste)
References
External links
WAM Turku City Art Museum Art Signature Dictionary, genuine signature by the artist Wäinö Aaltonen Here are 11 examples of Wäinö Aaltonen's signature and monogram, six dated from 1925 to 1940.