Robert Wilhelm Ekman (1808 – 1873) 🇫🇮 —
Väinämöinen playing the Kantele (1866)
Ekman began working on the painting in 1857, but due to financial difficulties et cetera, he didn't finish it until 1866. Its initial reception was poor — it was too Finnish for the Swedes, and Ekman himself too Swedish for the Finns — but the painting is now considered to be his magnum opus. He also made
a sketch of the composition.
Väinämöinen is surrounded by a host of Gods and entities.
Pellervoinen, the God of vegetation, is seen planting a sapling on the left. Behind him are the God & Goddess of the forest,
Tapio & Mielikki. Behind them, accompanied by a bear, is a
hiisi, a tricksterlike entity. On the right are
Ahti &
Vellamo, the God & Goddess of the sea. The girls in the front, accompanied by a swan, are known as
Sotkotars (singular:
Sotkotar, i.e. 'Scaupess'). Sitting on the rainbow are the airmaids
Päivätär & Kuutar, along with
Tähdetär ('Starress'),
Otavatar (from
Otava, the Big Dipper), and a fifth one.