My lecture will present the ongoing research project done in collaboration with the Finnish Institute in Japan and associate professor Taishi Watanabe at Waseda university. This pioneering research compares the villas built in the Finnish Artists´ Colonies, and the Japanese Sansou homes. The research question is: what were their similarities through the lens of creativity, the importance of nature and national romanticism.

During the lecture, first, the Artists´ Colony and Community phenomenon will be discussed. Then, the importance of nature to art and artists´ homes and the emerging nationalism will be reviewed. The art circles in Finland were small and the art world and exhibition practices were taking shape. Many artists got to know each other during their student years both in Finland and abroad. Their social networks came to play a decisive role in the establishment and internationalization of art. In addition to contacts between artists, relationships arose between officials and art institutions, patrons, artists and art schools. New phenomena in the art world and their popularity spread within these networks.

One of the phenomena during the nineteenth century European art scene were the artists´ colonies that had a great significance to artistic life. The phenomenon spread from Barbizon in France to Germany, Holland, Hungary, Poland, Slovenia, England and to the Nordic countries, including Finland.

Önningeby Artists´ Colony and Tuusula Artists´ Community Önningeby artist colony on Åland was founded in the summer of 1886, and just like the European artist colonies, an initiator was needed. The founder Victor Westerholm (1861–1919) had an extensive network that contributed to the establishment and expansion of the colony. In 1880 he had visited Åland, which according to him was “the most beautiful painting country on earth”, where he wanted to invite his fellow artists.

In the colonies, it was not just about bonding between young artists who were at the beginning of their careers, but also about camaraderie. Especially for the female members, the colony became a haven where everyone could devote themselves to their artistry and live free from society’s rules. The artist Victor and his wife Hilma Westerholm´s home in Tomtebo played a significant role in the artists´ colony life. It was the place where artists gathered in the evenings to review each other´s paintings and to discuss art and life. Many of the artists even found motifs to their paintings around Tomtebo.

The same phenomenon could be found in Tuusula ca 70 kilometers northeast of Helsinki where an artists’ community was established at the end of the nineteenth century. At this time the hay days of the Önningeby Artists´ colony were already over. The train connection from Helsinki contributed to Tuusula’s popularity, making it easier for artists to maintain their social contacts with the capital’s art circles. Unlike Önningeby, the homes in Tuusula were the artists’ permanent homes. Another difference was that the artists’ community did not consist only of visual artists, but also of writers and a composer.

The initial stage of the artists’ society coincided with the rise of national art. In order to express the soul of the nation and its specific characteristics through art, it was considered important to have one’s own artists’ villa in the countryside among ordinary people. Conditions close to nature provided the best conditions for the creation of independent and original art. Just like in Önningeby, the women in Tuusula had an important role. They were educated, talented and not only supported their artistic tastes, but also contributed to the cohesion of the artist community by organizing joint music and sauna evenings and supporting each other in everyday tasks.

Japanese Sansou homes Japanese sansou homes form an interesting counterpart to the Finnish Artists´ villas. Since ancient times they have been established separately from the main residence. The definition of the ongoing research is a villa intended to face the center of consciousness while facing the periphery from the center. During the research different types of sansou and their location have been discovered depending on the microcosmos and the surrounding gardens. The newest research results regarding the Japanese sansou will be presented at the end of the lecture.