kainoliero:huariqueje: Hyökkäys (The Attack) - Edvard Isto 1899 Finnish 1865-1905 The pain
kainoliero:huariqueje: Hyökkäys (The Attack) - Edvard Isto 1899 Finnish 1865-1905 The painting symbolizes Finnish resistance to Russification. The two-headed eagle of Russia is tearing away the law book from the Finnish Maiden’s arms. Museiverket, Finland One of my favourite Finnish paintings, not least because of how dangerous it was for Edvard Isto to have painted it. When it was first showcased it had to be done in secret, and the first printing round only included a few hundred copies. Regardless, the Russian gendarmes got whiff of it, which resulted in Isto having to flee country. First to Sweden, then to Germany, where he had the picture printed en masse, over 10 000 copies including postcards - one version with Russian text!At one point the painting itself returned to Finland, had to be quickly shipped to safety in Sweden, was given away as a lottery prize but the winner didn’t dare to accept it. Then it was successfully sold, and eventually donated to the Finnish National Board of Antiquities.Btw there’s also this piece of fanart by Alex Federley, in which the eagle’s been banished and Finnish Maiden stand victorious with her law book. Very important -- source link