Description
Fountain representing the story of Aino, a figure in the Finnish national epic Kalevala. It relates that she was the beautiful sister of Joukahainen. Her brother, having lost a singing contest to the storied Väinämöinen, promised Aino's 'hands and feet' in marriage if Väinämöinen would save him from drowning in the swamp into which Joukahainen had been thrown. Aino's mother was pleased at the idea of marrying her daughter to such a famous and well born person, but Aino did not want to marry such an old man. Rather than submit to this fate, Aino drowned herself (or ended up as a nix). However, she returned to taunt the grieving Väinämöinen as a salmon.
The sculpture describes the dramatic final scene of the story of the maiden Aino in Kalevala.. She has given up and is just about to fall into water from a big stone. Aino is sittig on a pile of stones (genuine natural stones from Wikström's atelier residence Visavuori). A muscular male resident of the kingdom of Vellamo is pushing hard to get the stone to fall into the water. Two maidens of Vellamo (on both sides of the stone) are helping him with great effort. There is even a third maiden, swimming in the water. She is in front of Aino temting her to enter the water. Aino looks desperate. - There are six fountain nozzles, made of bronze, in the shape of fish.
Signature
Wikström 1909
Fonderie Natle des Bronzes / ancne Firme J. Petermann / St Gilles-Bruxelles
Annotation
The statue was erected in 1912 in Helsinki in the garden of the Villa Johanna. The town of Lahti acquired the fountaint in 1948 and placed it in the Fellman Manor Park.
Sculptor
- Emil Wikström (Turku 1864 - .. 1942),
Finnish sculptor
(Wikipedia).
Sources & Information
Tags
Locatie (N 60°59'7" - E 25°39'6") (Satellite view: Google Maps)
Item Code: fi044; Photograph: 29 June 2013
Of each statue we made photos from various angles and also detail photos of the various texts.
If you want to use photos, please contact us via the contact form (in Dutch, English or German).
© Website and photos: René & Peter van der Krogt
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