The three brothers' art had a very clear common origin in their unquenchable fascination with nature and animals, above all birds. Their faithfulness before reality made them as much ornithologists and zoologists as artists. The brothers' father, a retired army officer and member of Finnish landed gentry, was a keen hunter. 'Father's blackgrouse outings' in the environs of the Haminanlahti manor near Kuopio were the boys' first contacts with nature and its careful study and observation.
The circumstances for creating art were difficult in the remote
Savo province and the Haminanlahti estate. The equipment had to to be
self-made, particularly as the father in no way encouraged his boys to
become artists, rather on the contrary. Colours were made of materials
that became handy. Brown came from strong coffee, black from tar,
other colours from plants. All the brothers started their picture-making
with water-colours, and Magnus and Wilhelm actually found it difficult
later to learn oil technique.
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The Biedermeier Era B.A. Godenhjelm and C.E. Sjöstrand, the First Teachers at the Helsinki Drawing School 
Berndt Abraham Godenhjelm : Omakuva pietarilaisessa työhuoneessa Carl Eneas Sjöstrand : Kullervon surma Kullervo katkoo kapalonsa Robert Wilhelm Ekman : Ilmatar Kreeta Haapasalo soittaa kannelta talonpoikaistuvassa The Collection of the Finnish Art Society and the Idea of a Museum Magnus von Wright : Pulska-alli Sorsia Wilhelm von Wright : Riippuvia sorsia Magnus von Wright : Liljenstrandein talo talvella Annankatu kylmänä talviaamuna Ferdinand von Wright : Huuhkaja iskee jänikseen Ensi yllätys Haminanlahden puutarhassa Taistelevat metsot
