Lake view from above
High-altitude lake landscape is one of the most common themes in Finnish landscape art. Such landscapes are made from a high perspective from a viewer’s point of view.
In the 19th century, several picture books of Finnish provinces and their landscapes were made. Such works could serve as tourist catalogs that attracted people to visit the famous vantage points of landscape paintings.
Albert Edelfelt made the ink drawing of the high-altitude landscape “On the Hundred Islands of Saimaa” for Runeberg’s poem July 5, which is part of Lieutenant Stool’s stories. The stories of Lieutenant Stool tell of the Finnish War of 1808–1809.
Albert Edelfelt, “On the Hundred Islands of Saimaa”, 1897-1900, Ateneum Art Museum, Antell’s collection. Photo: Finnish National Gallery
The view of the drawing can be found in I.K. Inha's photographic book Finland in Pictures (1896). The view is from Savonlinna from Väkevälänvuori hill in lake Pihlajavesi.
