PEARL OF THE MONTH

Acquaint yourself with a selection of interesting and cherished items comprised in the Serlachius collections. Here you will find background information on conservation or research results related to them. We publish a new pearl of the month each month.

2024

Gösta Serlachius policy address 1934

Serlachius outlined future operations of the Fine Arts Foundation.

Portrait of a Woman

Portrait of a Woman from 18th century was young Gösta Serlachius’ first art acquisition.

Atle Luotonen’s gift

Art blacksmith’s gift for the 50-year-old Fine Arts Foundations

2023

Fine Arts Foundation turns 90

The charter of the Gösta Serlachius Fine Arts Foundation was approved by the Ministry of Justice on 15 December 1933.

Vilppula railway station

Vilppula railway station was inaugurated and opened 140 years ago.

No Heaven up in the Sky

Located on Serlachius Art Sauna’s lawn, Laura Könönen’s sculpture reminds one of pieces of sky.

Rustic Life

Akseli Gallen-Kallela was one of the artists who built Finnish national identity by depicting original Finns in his paintings, such as Rustic Life, 1887.

Wilderness Lake

Akseli Gallen-Kallela’s Wilderness Lake is one of the most sought-after artworks requested on loan from Gösta Serlachius Fine Arts Foundation.

Company guest accommodation

G. A. Serlachius company had its guest accommodation at Joenniemi Manor’s first floor.

Women by the pike pole

A old photograph from war time portrays women doing their obligatory work driving lumber at timber yard in Mänttä.

A rare leaf of a book

A leaf from the illustrious Nuremberg Chronicle written by Hartmann Schedel.

This Could go on Forever

Graffiti artist EGS has been implementing an indefinitely continuing work process in Finland and Estonia.

Hairy Herbarium

Noora Schroderus’ series of works made of human hair raises questions relating to our own attitudes towards body hair.

Smuggling instructions

Correspondence reveals how Gösta Serlachius acquired alcohol beverages under Prohibition.

Table pennant

City of Mänttä was established exactly 50 years ago when the township was granted the status of a city.

2022

Camouflage

Noora Schroderus’ delicate boxing gloves knock out expectations based on appearance.

Jeton of Mänttä railway

Railway jeton was a medal that traditionally also warranted a free travel on the railway.

Ownership of Joenniemi

In October 1972, the ownership of Joenniemi Manor was transferred to the Gösta Serlachius Fine Arts Foundation.

English Smile

Clare Woods’ painting from the year 2021 is displayed on her show at Museum Gösta.

Portrait of G. A. Serlachius

Akseli Gallen-Kallela painted the portrait of mill owner G. A. Serlachius, an important patron of arts in his time.

Marietta

Maria Wiik’s painting from the 1880 is a sketch of her breakthrough work with the same name.

Prime Minister of India on a visit

Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru made a visit to Mänttä in 1957.

Pekilo Mill

Drawing showing Pekilo Mill completed in 1982 and left empty after the production of pekilo protein was stopped. In 2002 it became the mani venue for Mänttä Art festival.

Santeri Tuori Sky #26

Photographic work that was recently acquired for Fine Arts Foundations collection of contemporary art sources from the tradition of Romantic landscapes.

A Young Girl’s World

G. A. Serlachius Company published the booklet targeted at teenaged girls in 1965.

The helm of Elias Lönnrot

The Serlachius Museum’s collection comprises the helm of the paddle steamer Elias Lönnrot which used to sail on Lake Keurusselkä until 1920s.

Girl

Akseli Gallen-Kallela’s painting Girl reminds us of already defeated infectious diseases.

2021

Mänttä Castle

Architectural plans of the private residence of mill owner G. A. Serlachius .

Merry-Go-Round on the Ice

Hannes Autere’s humouristic water colour painting from the year 1915.

G. A. Serlachius Monument

G. A. Serlachius monument in bronze, granite and red granite was designed and partly also sculpted by Emil Wikström in 1921.

Lands of Treasure

Artist group IC-98’s animation work will be incorporated into the Gösta Serlachius Fine Arts Foundation’s collection of contemporary art.

Managing director’s office

Managing director Gösta Serlachius’s office presents itself in its original decor in the photograph taken in 1938.

Composition for Mäntylinna

Tuomas Korkalo’s mural on the gable end wall of a block of flats was unveiled early June 2021.

Silver racket pin

A memento of the tennis tournaments of the junior players.

Girl Reading

Hugo Simberg’s delicate line etching (1897) Girl Reading (1897) depicts the artist’s sister Elma concentrating in reading a book.

Fishing trip to Petsamo

Gösta Serlachius’ correspondence on planning a fishing trip to Petsamo.

Opening of a parchment roll

A mystical parchment roll was opened in a greenhouse erected in the conservation spaces at the Serlachius Museum Gösta.

Shadow Walker

Mark Wallinger’s video work from the year 2011 adopts a 21st-century flâneur’s view on questions of identity in an urban setting.

Greta Hornborg and daughter Elisabeth

A double portrait painted by Georges von Swetlik in 1939 was recently acquired for the Fine Arts Foundation’s collection.

2020

Portrait of a Man in Black

Conservation and research on Rudolph Van Grol’s painting from the year 1647.

Magnificent Desolation

Matthew Day Jackson’s bronze sculpture was included in the collection in 2019.

Hei hulinaa sano Alina

Anecdotes of Hunting Club gents and impressions from the mill-owner era

The life saving medal

Eric O. W. Ehrströms life saving medal from the first part of 20th century.

Väinämöinen Ilmarinen

Anselm Kiefer’s Kalevala-themed painting from the year 2018.

Robber at the Gate of Paradise

Helene Schjerfbeck’s exceptional portrayal of man painted in 1924–25

Tennis tournament trophy

The silver trophy was designed by Eric O. W. Ehrström.

Riiko Sakkinen

Franco was not so bad as They Claim, 2019.

Wind Music

Elina Brotherus’s photograph and video work inspired by Fluxus art.

Facade drawing of Mänttä pulp mill

The the façade drawings of Mänttä pulp mill were commissioned of the architect office of Valter and Ivar Thomé.

Serlachius’ horse Gatti

Serlachius corresponded on sending some of his riding horses to be trained for the Nordic Championship in field riding and perhaps for the Berlin Olympics.

Garland bearer

Hugo Simberg’s Garland Bearer, 1905. One of the studies for the painting on the gallery rail of the Tampere Cathedral depicting boys bearing garlands.

2019

Warm, cold

Anu Tuominen’s ready made artwork show in the Small exhibition of Colour in 2019.

Black Hand Soap

Soap that was produced in the sidestreams of G. A. Serlachius Company’s pulp production 1935–1942.

Burn-Beaters

Eero Järnefelt’s artwork from the year 1915.

Portrait of Mrs Rivoir

Conservation of a portrait that Ilya Repin painted in 1918.

Heat Painting #4

Peter Frie’s interpretation of hot summer day from the years 2016–2017.

Photograph of Miss Ester Toivonen

A Photograph Miss Europe gave Gösta Serlachius in 1934.

A Cantata for Sibelius

A cantata Eric O. W. Ehrström wrote in 1934.

View of Copenhagen III

Albert Edelfelt’s 3rd sketch forthe theme from 1890.

Fayyum Portrait

A portrait from 3rd-century Egypt.

Problem (Symposion)

Akseli Gallen-Kallela’s symbolistic painting from 1894.

Ernst Ivar Roini

Advocate of the ideals of Young Finns and an adversary of G. A. Serlachius.

Olga Gummerus

Self-Portrait of a young artist from year 1901.

2018

Man, Wine Bottle and a Tambourine

Jusepe de Ribera’s painting from the year 1631.

Serla Squirrel

A mascot used in marketing.

Stained-glass at Mänttä church

Eric O. W. Ehrström’s sketch for the stained-glass painting at the organ balcony from the year 1928.

Frieze of the Genesis of Mänttä

Lennart Segerstråle’s painting at Serlachius Museum Gustaf’s loggy from the year 1937.

Passport of Odessan Consul

A diplomatic passport issued to Gösta Serlachius from the year 1918

Herd-books of Serlachius cattle

Herd-books of the Ayrshire breed Ladies, Lords and Erkki Bill.

Portrait of Tove Jansson

Sam Vanni painted the portrait in 1935.

White Army Commemorative Album

The album from the year 1918 contains photographs of the officers.

Conservation of the Renessaince portrait

A 1570’s-piece, Portrait of an 18-year-old Venetian Noblewoman, attributed to Giovanni Antonio Fasolo

Memorial of Vilppula battle

Photograph of Gösta Serlachius during the unveiling of the memorial on 10 July, 1938.

Main building of Isoniemi estate

Valter Thomé’s and Karl Lindahl’s design for the building.

J. G. Riihonen’s memoires

Memories of the years of war and rebellion in Mänttä and its surroundings 1917–1918.

2017

Madonna and Child sculptures

Hannes Autere, 1930’s

Fasaani – The Pheasant

The art of boiling and frying Mänttä-style, 1977

Café Colombia

Erik Enroth, 1971

Parliament valise

A valise filled with the products of G. A. Serlachius Company issued for the members of Finnish Parliament in 1937

Mänttä Art Club

A photograph from 1951 demonstrating the art making activities started in Mänttä after the war in the 1951

Sauna drawings

A sauna organised by Gösta Serlachius to Nonington Collegeen, in England 1938–1939.

Girl in the Old Church at Keuruu

Maria Raunio Akseli Gallen-Kallela’s painting from the year 1889.

A Hand holding a torch

A light fixture at Joenniemi Manor’s staircase

Hanna Granfelt’s concert

Businessmen’s correspondence on concert arrangements on the 1920s.

Harvesters in Boat II

Ellen Thesleff, 1924

The Greengrocer

Pieter Aertsen, 16th century

Emblems of the State

Eric O. W. Ehrström designed for the coats of arms the Finnsh lion and flag in 1918–1919.

2016

Factory Girls

Marcus Collin, 1916

Serlachius Medal

Serlachius Medal by Heikki Häiväoja, 1994, celebrates the 125-year the work and history of the Serlachius family as developers of paper industry in Finland.

Exlibris

Alf Danning designed for Ruth Serlachius an exlibris.

Trombone Angel

Ellen Thesleff, 1926

Altarpiece at Mänttä church

Alwar Cawén, sketches, 1927–1928.

Ceramic relief Violets

Birger Kaipiainen

Daguerrotype

Serlachius Museums’ Picture archives comprise a silver picture of 1800s.

Table-runner with Olympics theme

A table-runner produced by G. A. Serlachius Company.

Fountain sculpture

Fountain sculpture located previously on the courtyard of Mänttä castle.

Mural Mänttä

Heikki Marila’s mural on Restaurant Gösta’s wall, 2015.

Fashion and food column

Olga Gummerus-Ehrström and Eric O. W. Ehrström’s columnon Suomen Kuvalehti Magazine, 1917.

Congratulatory Address

The congratulatory address of the supervisors working for G. A. Serlachius Company designated to Gösta Serlachius, 1916.

2015

Self-Portrait

Akseli Gallen-Kallela, 1897

Death of Wilhelm von Schwerin

Helene Schjerfbeck, 1927

Memorial tablet

Memorial tablet of the workers of Kolho Oy for the co-workers died in the World war II.

Art Connoisseurs in the Louvre

Gunnar Berndtson, 1879

Serlachius Company’s toilet paper

Eric O. W. Ehrström designed the product label Paper d’amour for the toilet paper.

Brothers

Hugo Simberg, early 20th century

Portrait of doctor E. W. Lybeck

Akseli Gallen-Kallela

Manual to Build a Chicken House

Gösta Serlachius translated the manual into Finnish in 1927.

Joenniemi Coats of Arms

The coats of arms were manufactured by Kupittaan SAvi Ltd.

Honorary Addresses for Sibelius

Eric O. W. Ehrström, 1915

Leppäkoski

Pekka Halonen, 1917

Product label

Olga Gummerus-Ehrström, designed the product label for Fazer’s Rowanberry confections in early 1900s.

2014

Ruth Serlachius’s trunk

A Louis Vuitton trunk that belonged to Ruth Serlachius.

A Medal for Gösta Serlachius

Emil Wikström, 1926

Madonna with the Cherries

Quinten Massys, 16th century

Bird motifs

Lennart Segerstråle

Gösta Serlachius’ Museum plans

Uno Ullberg, 1942

Huhkojärvi Sauna Doors

Hannes Autere, 1920’s

Myllykylä Sawmill

Pekka Halonen, 1899

Cowshed at Joenniemi

W. G. Palmqvist, 1927

Collection Harry Kivijärvi

Collection bequethed to Gösta Serlachius Fine Arts Foundation in 2011.

Lövö Dish Stamp

Cast iron Stamp used for marking wooden dishes used to serve fish.

Rustic Figures

Eero Nelimarkka, 1917

Christmas Tree at Kilo Manor

Magnus Enckell painted his rather impressionistic Christmas Tree in the Salon of Kilo Manor in 1920’s.

2013

Finnish Soldiers

Albert Edelfelt’s Finnish Soldiers in the War of 1808–1809, painted in 1892 is one of the best known work in Finnish art history.

Bridal Sauna

Robert Ekman, before 1866

Russian Certificate of Honour

Issued by All-Russia Art and Industry exhibition in 1896.

Self-Portrait

Eric O. W. Ehrström, 1933

Menu for a convention

A menu for an international convention of greaseproof paper manufacturers in Mänttä, 1930.

Science of breath

Yogi Ramaharaka’s yoga philosophy classic Science of Breath (1935) translated in to Finnish by Mrs Ruth Serlachius, 1935.

Old Man Istolainen

Juho Rissanen, 1897

Charter of Foundation

Official document initialising Gösta Serlachius Fine Arts Foundation, 1933.