Collections

Art Collection

Signe and Ane Gyllenberg wanted to have beautiful pieces of art surrounding them, pieces that opened one’s view. Their collection is comprised of paintings, sculptures, graphic art, and other artworks that were bought mainly between the 1920's and the 1960's. The couple wanted their collection to be available to the general public, and therefore gave it to the Signe and Ane Gyllenberg Foundation, who now maintains the Villa Gyllenberg art museum. The art collection, the original furnishings of Signe and Ane’s home, and the beautiful nature of the surroundings form a harmonious ensemble.

The art collection of the Signe and Ane Gyllenberg Foundation includes mainly Finnish art works. Isaac Wacklin’s Portrait of a Man (1756) is one of the oldest pieces, and Juhani Linnovaara’s surrealistic paintings, done in the 1960's, among the latest. The so called golden age of Finnish art and modernism are well represented. More than 40 works of Helene Schjerfbeck form the museum’s biggest collection of an individual artist.

The museum’s collection also contains international art, such as some pieces by European artist from the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries, prints by Salvador Dalí and some oriental artworks.

The art collection of Signe and Ane Gyllenberg Foundation includes about 400 pieces of art, and new pieces are acquired from time to time.

The Schjerfbeck Collection

Helene Schjerfbeck (1862–1946) was Ane Gyllenberg's favourite artist. Schjerfbeck is one of the most famous Finnish artists of all time. Her paintings are highly regarded in both Finland and abroad.

Fête juive (1883) was Ane Gyllenberg’s first Schjerfbeck purchase. He bought the painting from his friend, art dealer Gösta Stenman, in the 1930’s. During the following years, Ane Gyllenberg bought several works by Schjerfbeck, and he even sent her letters to get more information about the paintings.

Some of the works he bought were exchanged or sold later on, and some were inherited by Signe and Ane Gyllenberg's children. In 1977, by the time of the death of both Ane and Signe Gyllenberg, the art collection consisted of 380 works, and 26 of these were works by Helene Schjerfbeck. Several works have been acquired since then, and today the museum’s collection boasts more than 40 paintings, sketches and prints by this remarkable painter. The earliest are from the 1870’s and the latest from 1945.

Most of our Schjerfbeck paintings are permanently on display in the museum. Fête juive (in the picture) still hangs on the same wall as it did during the time when the Gyllenbergs lived in the Villa.

Book a guided tour by sending e-mail to villa@gyllenbergs.fi.

Collection of objects and furniture

The Gyllenberg collections also include objects and furniture, that were a part of the Villa Gyllenberg interior during Signe and Ane's time. The collections include among other things porcelain and silver artifacts, several sets of dishes, chandeliers, mats and furniture. Most of the furniture are on display on their original places in the Villa Gyllenberg home museum.

The Book Collection

The book collection consists of 722 books and 185 of these are on Finna. The book collection is at Villa Gyllenberg.

Most of the books cover religious or social topics. The oldest work is Novum testamentum from 1639. A few rarities, such as Anders Zetterberg’s Journalisten, eller Utwalda Samlingar i Blandade Ämnen hämtade i synnerhet ur de Nyaste och Bästa Engelska Journaler; till nytta och nöje för Medborgare af bägge könen from 1794, Cholera Bullentinerpe: Dagsförteckningarne öfwer dem af Åbo Stads Innevånare, hwilka insjuknat, tillfrisknat eller dödt i Cholera Farsoten 1831–1832 from 1832 and Biblia: Pyhä Raamattu published by Suomalaisen kirjallisuuden in 1852. Some of the oldest books were conservated in the autumn 2020. This is a link to the collection.

The books in the book collection are not for loan. However, researchers may study individual books by appointment. Ask for permission from Exhibition assistant Kira Toikka kira.toikka@gyllenbergs.fi well ahead of a possible visit.

Collections online

The Signe and Ane Gyllenberg Foundation's art, object and book collections have been published on the finna.fi platform. Please feel free to browse our collections on Finna via this link.