Finland’s lighthouse

David Platzer | The New Criterion | 30th November 2025

Like many aspiring artists, Halonen went to Paris to absorb its modernist vibe. He picked up the fashions of the 1890’s – Primitivism (studying under Gauguin), post-Impressionism, the Japonisme craze – and took it all back to Oslo. What emerged from his studio, though, was the Finnish landscape in all its variety. His winter scenes drew particular acclaim, showing blue-ish shadow falling on the snow. In a country still under Russian rule, that work helped coalesce a Finnish sense of identity.