Septem 4de utställning i Ateneum : 20 mars - 12 april 1915 (Fourth Exhibition of the Septem Group at the Ateneum Art Museum : from March 20 to April 12, 1915) [Catalogue]

Near fine condition; stress lines across the spine, few occasional fingerprints. 

The fourth exhibition of works organized by the Septem group was held from March 20 to April 12, 1915 at the Ateneum Art Museum in Helsinki. On display were 108 artworks. Of the 13 showing artists, seven were members of the Septem Group - Alfred William Finch, Magnus Enckell, Yrjö Ollila, Mikko Oinonen, Juho Rissanen, Ake Lauren, Verner Thome; five invited participants were the founding members of the upcoming Marraskuu (November) Group - Alvar Cawen, Ragnar Ekelund, Valle Rosenberg, Tyko Sallinen ja Werner Aström; also was included retrospective memorial section of Gustaf Wilhelm Finnberg's works. Therefore, current exhibition demonstrated the major modernist movements in Finnish art and their most important representatives. 

The early 20th century was characterised by the search for entirely new forms of expression in art. Artists began forming groups with other likeminded artists. Groups also emerged in Finland, such as French inspired Impressionist Septem founded in 1912, whose hallmark was bright colourism. The November group established in 1917 for a darker color expression adopted trends of Cubism. The beginning of the Septem Group establishment started from Paris Autumn Salon of 1908, there foreign art critics had given a low rating to Finnish works considering them old-fashioned, lifeless and drab. Magnus Enckell who had acted as a Commissioner of the Finnish Section at the Exhibition, together with other young artists started the renewal of Finnish painting towards Neo-Impressionism. Their inspiration came partly from the 1904 Impressionist and Neo-Impressionist Franco-Belgian Exhibition in Helsinki. Also, they adopted the color theories of architects Sigurd Frosterus and Gustaf Strengell and introduced a pure palette of rainbow colors. The group held its first joint exhibition in 1912 and this event became a breakthrough in modern Finnish art. Further exhibitions were organized annually. The group included Magnus Enckell, Verner Thome, Alfred William Finch, Yrjö Ollila, Ellen Thesleff, Juho Rissanen ja Mikko Oinonen. In 1914 Juho Rissanen moved to France, and Ake Lauren became a new member. The group's influence continued until about 1920.

Catalog for a current exhibition includes list of works - each artist on separate page, two articles by artist Magnus Enckell and curator of Ateneum's art collections Torsten Stjernschantz considering renowned Finnish painter's Gustaf Wilhelm Finnberg (1784-1833) biography and giving characteristic of his work, also attached 13 full-page reproductions of the artworks exhibited.