Picture Archive

The image collection of Finnish visual arts and artists housed in the Picture Archive is the widest in the country. The archive also has a range of materials on international, especially old European, visual arts, architecture and cultural settings.

The Central Art Archives’ Picture Archive is the largest source of visual material on Finnish art. The Central Art Archives takes photographs of the art scene in general as well as artworks possessed by the Finnish National Gallery, other museums and private persons. These internal documentation activities augment the collection on a regular basis. The Central Art Archives’ collection is also significantly expanded by donations from private persons and various organisations.

The over half a million photo originals – mostly photographs of artworks –form the core of the collection. The collection also includes prints, invitation cards, posters and visual resources associated with artists and the art world. The oldest photographs in the Picture Archive were originally acquired by the Finnish Art Society in the 1860s.

Gallery photography carried out by the Central Art Archives documents the work of some 50 contemporary artists every year. The picture collections are available for researchers and the media, although some material-specific restrictions apply. The collection catalogue provides information on the photographic collections, and the archive staff are happy to provide further information. Information on the photographs is mainly stored in the Finnish National Gallery’s Muusa database. Customers can access the database in the premises of the Central Art Archives. Usage rights for the photographs can be bought from the Central Art Archives’ Photographic Service.

The Photographic Collection Catalogue (only in Finnish)pdf, 2339 kb.