Talvisota ja kuvataiteet

摘要

It must be said that in literal terms the Winter War and the visual arts have very little to do with each other. The peaceful period between the Winter War and the Continuation War was not conducive for creating art, and memorials erected after the wars, for example, usually refer to both wars. Although the war did not really inspire visual artists, it did leave its mark on our art. There are some individual examples which can be compared to other art created during the same period. The works of artists who were involved in the war often depict evil and suffering, and use the novelties of the 20th century, cubism, expressionism and surrealism. Experiences of insecurity, an unlived childhood, the loss of a father, being forced to evacuate, the yearning for a lost homeland, the fear of death, a broken emotional life, and all-encompassing insecurity in life, can all be seen in the works of artists who lived their childhood during the war. The art of Lennart Segersträle and Veikko Vionoja is particularly closely related to the Winter War. Vionoja served as a medic during the war and transferred the horrors he experienced into numerous drawings after the war. It is also possible to see a large proportion of his paintings in relation to his experiences during the Winter War. Segersträle, on the other hand, created frescoes on the walls of the Bank of Finland during the Winter War, and their content and message are closely related to the war being fought. For example, the snow suit used by a Finnish soldier in the Winter War can be seen in the fresco Finland Awakens. The snow suit is also featured in memorials erected after the war, even though the War covered all four seasons. In the autumn 2014, 75 years had passed since the beginning of the Winter War. A national monument, The Bringer of Light by Pekka Kauhanen, is being prepared in conjunction with the anniversary. The figure of a man, dressed in a snow suit and standing on top of a sphere, joins the tradition of war-related art, while carrying it forward.%Kuvataiteet eivät ole ammentaneet talvisodasta siinä määrin kuin esimerkiksi kirjallisuus tai elokuva. Artikkelissani tarkastelen lyhyesti, mitä suomalaisessa taidehistorian kirjoituksessa on sanottu aiheesta. Tarkastelun kohteiksi olen valinnut kaksi teoskokonaisuutta, joiden artikkelit ovat keskeisessä asemassa maamme taidehistorian kirjoituksessa.1 Niiden lisäksi mukana on aihetta sivuava laaja selvitys sodan muistomerkeistä.2 Siinä tarkastellaan muun muassa kysymystä, kuinka lumipuvusta tuli monumenteissa keskeinen suomalaisen sotilaan tunnus, vaikka jatkosodan myötä sota-aika käsitti kaikki vuodenajat.