The Tikanoja Art Collection
The collection at the Tikanoja Art Museum is comprised of art collected by Frithjof Tikanoja (1877–1964). The collection consisting of more than 1,000 works includes works by important artists in art history, both from Finland and abroad. The Tikanoja collection has, similarly to other art collections with a private origin, a personal character of its own that tells us about the creator’s interests and expertise.
The Tikanoja art collection includes an exceptionally remarkable selection of foreign art in Finland with an emphasis on French paintings from the 19th and early 20th centuries. During the 1920s, Tikanoja collected a significant ensemble of French art in his home with works by artists such as Edgar Degas, Paul Gauguin, Henri Matisse. In addition to these, his selection of international art includes works from the 17th and 18th centuries.
The collection of Finnish art features works by some of Finland’s best known artists from the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries. In addition to Akseli Gallen-Kallela and Eero Järnefelt, several female artists from the 19th century such as Venny Soldan-Brofeldt, Maria Wiik, Fanny Churberg and Alexandra Frosterus-Såltin, are represented in the collection. Local artists, too, are well represented. Tikanoja acted as a patron to the artists Eemu Myntti and Arvi Mäenpää, hence, an abundance of their works are included.
The Tikanoja Art Museum also houses an antique library that is still open to the public. There is a variety of first editions of novels from that period, a number of books on history and art as well as a wide collection of Finnish Bibles on the shelves of the library.
During special exhibitions the works of the museum collection are not always on display.