Helena Westermarck facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Helena Westermarck
Westermarck in 1894
Born	Helena Charlotta Westermarck (1857-11-20)20 November 1857 Helsinki, Grand Duchy of Finland
Died	5 April 1938(1938-04-05) (aged 80) Helsinki, Finland
Nationality	Finnish
Known for	Painter, writer

Helena Charlotta Westermarck (born November 20, 1857, in Helsinki; died April 5, 1938, in Helsinki) was a talented Finnish artist and writer. She spoke Swedish, which is common in Finland. Helena is especially known for writing important books about women's lives. She was one of the first to focus on this topic.

Helena's Early Life and Art Training

Helena Westermarck started her art journey at the Drawing School of the Finnish Art Society. She also studied at a private art school run by Adolf von Becker. During her studies, she became good friends with another artist named Helene Schjerfbeck. They remained close friends throughout their lives.

The "Painter Sisters" Group

Helena and Helene were part of a special group of female artists. They called themselves "the painter sisters." This group also included other talented artists like Maria Wiik and Elin Danielson-Gambogi. These women supported each other in their art careers.

Working in France

Helena Westermarck spent a lot of time working in France. She often traveled there with her friend Helene Schjerfbeck. Helena developed a realistic style in her paintings. She was especially good at painting portraits of people and scenes with figures.

At a big art show called the Exposition Universelle in 1889, she won an honorable mention. This was for her painting called Strykerskor.

Portrait by Helene Schjerfbeck, 1884

Helena Becomes a Writer

In 1884, Helena got sick with tuberculosis. After this, she stopped painting and decided to focus on writing instead. She became a critic, writing about art and other topics.

Her First Novels

Helena began her writing career by creating novels. Her stories give us a peek into women's history. They show us what daily life was like for women from upper and middle-class families. She also helped edit a Swedish-language magazine for women called Nutid.

Research and Biographies

Helena Westermarck also became an important researcher. She wrote about culture and history. She even worked alongside her brother, Edvard Westermarck, at the British Library.

In the early 1890s, she started writing special biographies. These books told the life stories of many different women. She wrote about female painters who were not well-known at the time. Many of these artists, like Mathilda Rotkirch (whose biography she wrote in 1926), were "discovered" much later. Helena also wrote about women who were pioneers in their fields. These included Elisabeth Blomqvist (1916–17), Adelaide Ehrnrooth (1928), and Rosina Heikel (1930).

Helena Westermarck's own memories were published in a book in 1941.

Selected Works by Helena Westermarck

Helena Westermarck wrote many books and articles during her career. Here are some of her notable works:

Gallery

See also

• Golden Age of Finnish Art
• Finnish art