Pathfinders

In the 1800s, women had no place in the art academy, and a career as an artist was not the same opportunity for them as it was for men. Still, there were courageous and talented women who took up the brush, acted as trailblazers, and demanded space in both the art world and in society.

In this episode, curator Anne-Maria Pennonen from the Ateneum Art Museum takes us on a journey through Finnish art history from a female perspective. Who were Fanny Churberg, Ida Silfverberg, and Victoria Åberg—and who were their contemporaries? What kind of environment did they work in, and what did they have to overcome to be recognized as artists?

We explore both their individual lives and the broader social framework surrounding them. We reflect on how female artists have been viewed across different eras—and how we can understand their artistic practice in today’s context.

Pathfinders is a tribute to the women who created opportunities for those who came after them and left a lasting impact on the art world.

Images:

Victoria Åberg: A View over the Castle Olavinlinna, 1864. Finnish National Gallery Collection / Ateneum Art Museum. Photo: Finnish National Gallery / Yehia Eweis

Fanny Churberg: Winter Landscape, After Sunset, 1880. Finnish National Gallery Collection / Ateneum Art Museum. Photo: Finnish National Gallery / Yehia Eweis

Alexandra Frosterus-Såltin: Small Sorrows, 1864. Finnish National Gallery Collection / Ateneum Art Museum. Photo: Finnish National Gallery / Hannu Aaltonen

Ida Silfverberg: Bohemian Fiddler, 1864. Finnish National Gallery Collection / Ateneum Art Museum. Photo: Finnish National Gallery / Hannu Aaltonen