The careers of two Finnish sculptors occured at a stage in which sculptural realism was still seeking its relationship to historical and mythological subjects. Walter Runeberg (1838-1920) had studied with success first in Copenhagen, then in Rome and Paris and had singlemindedly set out to become Finland's leading sculptor beside Sjöstrand. Sjöstrand's tentative classicism and delicate Romanticism clashed with Runeberg's idealistic classicism, powerful Romanticism and emerging Realism. Walter Runeberg had a solid foundation for his values, his father was Finland's national poet Johan Ludvig Runeberg.
In Rome Runeberg had eagerly studied classical sculpture and had
sent samples of his work to Finland. The marble sculpture
Apollo
and Marsyas
(1874) was realized with funds from a raffle organized
by society ladies of Helsinki. This was Finland's first large-scale marble
sculpture. Olympus's god of light has defeated Marsyas, a representative of
worldliness and darkness who had challenged Apollo to a musical contest.
Apollo is embodied in a sublime figure of idealized beauty, whereas Marsyas
crouches in the chains of his wordly passions. Runeberg relates the noble and
triumphant side to the story. How the story continued is revealed only in the
goatskin thrown in Marsyas's lap: Apollo flayed alive the satyr who represented
the genus of goats.
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The Decades of Realism and National Romanticism 
Walter Runeberg : Apollo ja Marsyas Amor ja Bacchus lapsina Johannes Takanen : Aino Andromeda National Romantic Karelianism Adolf von Becker : Äidiniloa Victor Westerholm : Knutsbodan vuoret Kukkivia hedelmäpuita, Suresnes Albert Edelfelt : Ellen Edelfelt Kuningatar Blanka Lapsen ruumissaatto Pasteurin muotokuva, harjoitelma Pariisin Luxemburgin puistossa Ruokolahden eukkoja kirkonmäellä Gunnar Berndtson : Peilin ääressä Morsiamen laulu Aukusti Uotila : Lammaspaimen Kalastuspaikka kuutamolla Akseli Gallen-Kallela : Kullervon kirous Ilmarinen kyntää kyisen pellon Poika ja varis Mädäntynyt kuha Aino-taru Lemminkäisen äiti Velisurmaaja Tytön pää, Pikku Anna Kevät Démasquée Eero Järnefelt : Taiteilijan pojan muotokuva Matilda Wreden muotokuva Kaislikkoranta Pielisjärven syysmaisema Raatajat rahanalaiset Pekka Halonen : Viulunsoittaja Oijustie Avannolla Syksyinen raita Tienraivaajia Karjalassa Helene Schjerfbeck : Vihreä asetelma Istuva valkopukuinen nainen Toipilas Kansakoulutyttö Mustataustainen omakuva Omakuva 1944 Maria Wiik : Hilda Wiikin muotokuva Maailmalle Juho Rissanen : Sokea Povarissa Rauta kaulassa Lapsuuden muisto
