The Wounded Angel by Hugo Simberg (Interpretation and Analysis)
In 2006, citizens of Finland voted The Wounded Angel their country’s national painting, and it’s not hard to see why.
While the exact meaning of the painting is unclear, it is a profoundly moving piece, one that appeals to the viewers on a deep and personal level. The piece was created by Hugo Simberg, one of Finland’s most famous painters. He was a member of the symbolist movement, an artistic movement that sought to expressive higher truths through art. Simberg revels in strange and supernatural subjects, and his work typically has an otherworldly and melancholic aura.
His Wounded Angel is certainly a melancholy piece. It depicts two young boys carrying an angel, in the form of a small girl, on a stretcher. The angel has a broken wing and a bandage wrapped around her head. The landscape behind the three figures is actually a real place, the Töölönlahti Bay near Helsinki.
In fact, the path the angel traveled still exists and is open to the public. Because the setting of the painting is known, some art historians have speculated that the boys are carrying the angel to the Blind Girls’ School or the Home for Cripples, which existed near the site at the time, for treatment. Others have interpreted the painting as an expression of Simberg’s own health problems. According to my research, Simberg was suffering from meningitis at the time and found comfort in painting as he recovered. The snowdrops that the angel carries symbolize healing and rebirth, lending credence to either interpretation of the piece.
Whatever the significance of the painting (Simberg was famously resistant to explaining his work), it was clearly very important to Simberg, who worked on the piece for several years. He created many different studies for the painting, including photos and drawings.
His enthusiasm for the painting seems to have translated to viewers, as The Wounded Angel has been a crowd pleaser since it was presented at the 1903 Ateneum autumn exhibition. Today, it remains tremendously popular. Personally, I find it to be very calming; the healing energy of the piece transcends time and is quite welcome in these troubled times.
Disclaimer: I’m not an art historian or an expert on this topic. The above is my opinion, based on my interpretation of my foreknowledge of art and history. If I’ve done any additional research, I’ll note it above.
While the exact meaning of the painting is unclear, it is a profoundly moving piece, one that appeals to the viewers on a deep and personal level. The piece was created by Hugo Simberg, one of Finland’s most famous painters. He was a member of the symbolist movement, an artistic movement that sought to expressive higher truths through art. Simberg revels in strange and supernatural subjects, and his work typically has an otherworldly and melancholic aura.
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| The Wounded Angel Source: Wikimedia Commons |
His Wounded Angel is certainly a melancholy piece. It depicts two young boys carrying an angel, in the form of a small girl, on a stretcher. The angel has a broken wing and a bandage wrapped around her head. The landscape behind the three figures is actually a real place, the Töölönlahti Bay near Helsinki.
In fact, the path the angel traveled still exists and is open to the public. Because the setting of the painting is known, some art historians have speculated that the boys are carrying the angel to the Blind Girls’ School or the Home for Cripples, which existed near the site at the time, for treatment. Others have interpreted the painting as an expression of Simberg’s own health problems. According to my research, Simberg was suffering from meningitis at the time and found comfort in painting as he recovered. The snowdrops that the angel carries symbolize healing and rebirth, lending credence to either interpretation of the piece.
Whatever the significance of the painting (Simberg was famously resistant to explaining his work), it was clearly very important to Simberg, who worked on the piece for several years. He created many different studies for the painting, including photos and drawings.
His enthusiasm for the painting seems to have translated to viewers, as The Wounded Angel has been a crowd pleaser since it was presented at the 1903 Ateneum autumn exhibition. Today, it remains tremendously popular. Personally, I find it to be very calming; the healing energy of the piece transcends time and is quite welcome in these troubled times.
Disclaimer: I’m not an art historian or an expert on this topic. The above is my opinion, based on my interpretation of my foreknowledge of art and history. If I’ve done any additional research, I’ll note it above.
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