The Fratricide
1897
This intense scene from Finnish mythology depicts Kullervo discovering that the woman he seduced is actually his sister, a tragic revelation that leads to her suicide and his eventual revenge. Painted in 1897 by Akseli Gallen-Kallela, a master of Finnish Symbolism, it captures the grim moment with stark, almost medieval styling against a bold red background filled with stylized, dark flowers. The artist was deeply inspired by the Kalevala, Finland's national epic, creating a series of powerful works that helped forge a distinct Finnish national identity during a period of heavy Russian oppression.
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