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Maire Gullichsen
Photo: Kuvasiskot, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons12

Maire Gullichsen

Finnish art patron and co-founder of Artek

Maire Eva Johanna Gullichsen (née Ahlström, later known as Gullichsen-Nyströmer; 24 June 1907, Noormarkku – 9 July 1990, Noormarkku) was a Finnish art patron, promoter of modernism and businesswoman. She was one of the most influential figures on the Finnish art scene from the 1930s onwards, contributing decisively to the breakthrough of modernism in Finnish visual art and design.2

From Wikipedia’s article on Maire Gullichsen (this version), CC BY-SA 4.0.

Born Jun 24, 1907, died Jul 9, 1990.1

About

She co-founded Artek (1935) together with Aino and Alvar Aalto, initiated the Free Art School in Helsinki, and established the foundation that became the basis for the Pori Art Museum.

From Wikipedia’s article on Maire Gullichsen, shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.2

Companies

Early life and education

Gullichsen was the daughter of businessman Walter Ahlström and granddaughter of Antti Ahlström, one of the wealthiest men in 19th-century Finland.

She came into contact with contemporary art through her parents and their artistic circles. A formative influence was her encounter with the work of Magnus Enckell, whose use of colour shaped her approach to collecting. She left school early and studied art in Helsinki, including at the Ateneum, before travelling to Paris in 1925. There she studied under several artists; in 1927 she lived together with painter Ethel Thesleff and studied at private academies. Her studies culminated in Fernand Léger's studio, giving her a deep familiarity with Léger's and Matisse's work.

From Wikipedia’s article on Maire Gullichsen (this version), CC BY-SA 4.0.

Career

Occupation: patron of the arts, painter, art historian, designer.4

  • Date not recordedFounded Artek3

Personal life

  • BornJun 24, 1907, Porin maalaiskunta5
  • DiedJul 9, 1990, Pori6
  • CitizenshipGrand Duchy of Finland, Finland7
  • ResidenceVilla Mairea8
  • SpouseHarry Gullichsen9

Family

Maire and Harry Gullichsen (1902–1954) had three children: architect Kristian Gullichsen (1932–2021), professor and former Olympic sailor Johan Gullichsen (born 1936), and philosopher and professor Lilli Alanen (1941–2021) of Uppsala University. After Harry Gullichsen's death in 1954, Maire Gullichsen married Captain Bertil C. Nyströmer in 1969. Alvar Gullichsen is a grandson and Ronja Stanley a great-granddaughter.

From Wikipedia’s article on Maire Gullichsen (this version), CC BY-SA 4.0.

Awards

  • Date not recordedCommander 1st class of the Order of Vasa10
  • Date not recordedCommander of the Order of the Lion of Finland10
  • Date not recordedCommandeur des Arts et des Lettres‎10
  • Date not recordedCross of Liberty, 4th Class10
  • Date not recordedKnight of the Order of the Star of Italian Solidarity10
  • Date not recordedKnight of the Order of the White Rose of Finland10
  • Date not recordedMedal for Humane Benevolence10
  • Date not recordedOfficer of the Legion of Honour10
  • Date not recordedcommander of the Order of the Dannebrog10

Sources

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