A major retrospective at Paris's Petit Palais is introducing art lovers to Pekka Halonen (1865-1933), a Finnish painter who studied under Paul Gauguin before returning to his homeland to capture the magnificent nature of Finland. Known as the 'painter of snow,' Halonen developed a unique artistic vision that transformed the varied and stimulating qualities of snow into works that pushed the boundaries toward abstraction. The exhibition, organized in collaboration with Helsinki's Ateneum, reveals an artist whose relationship with landscape was built on wonder and restraint.
Halonen's artistic journey began with his studies under the renowned Post-Impressionist master Paul Gauguin, but it was his return to Finland that truly defined his career. There, he dedicated himself to painting the grandiose nature of his native country, with particular focus on snow in all its varied forms. His fascination with snow's different textures, colors, and moods became so intense that it led him to explore the very edges of abstraction, creating works that captured not just the visual appearance but the essence of winter landscapes.
The most impressive room in the retrospective recreates Halonen's wooden studio salon, complete with its massive glass window that immersed him in the surrounding nature. Annick Lemoine, director of the Petit Palais, showed the same enthusiastic smile when unveiling this reconstructed space in Paris as she had displayed in June when opening the doors to journalists at Halonen's actual house-studio. The original studio, called Halosenniemi, sits perched on a rocky outcrop beside Lake Tuusula, about thirty kilometers from Helsinki.
According to Lemoine, this magical place holds the key to understanding Halonen's art and his profound connection with nature. The typically Finnish setting, which Halonen built with his own hands, reflects his simple, family-centered way of life. He lived there surrounded by his eight children and accompanied by the piano melodies played by his wife, who would perform beside him as he put the finishing touches on paintings he had begun outdoors. The house-studio represents the very soul of Pekka Halonen's artistic vision.
The exhibition particularly highlights Halonen's masterpiece 'Ice and Snow-Covered Rocks' from 1911, an oil on canvas measuring 96 x 155.5 cm from the collection of the Ateneum Art Museum in Helsinki. This work exemplifies his ability to find infinite variety and artistic inspiration in what might seem like monotonous winter landscapes. His paintings reveal how snow and ice could serve as subjects for sophisticated artistic exploration, demonstrating his unique position in the landscape painting tradition.
The retrospective offers visitors a superb discovery of an artist who combined international artistic training with deeply rooted national identity. Halonen's work represents a distinctive chapter in Nordic art, showing how an artist could absorb influences from major European movements like Post-Impressionism while developing a completely personal vision tied to his homeland's specific natural conditions.
