Museum Blog

This is a copy of an original painting titled “Finnish Farmstead” by the Finnish artist Juho Rissanen (1873-1950).  I acquired the copy in mint condition from the Tori at last year’s FinnFest in Duluth.  What piqued my interest in the painting and the artist was the fact that a copy graced the walls of the home of Mr. & Mrs. Peter Koskela.  Unfortunately, exposure to too much light over the years led to severe color fading.  The painting is signed and dated Duluth 1944.  I went on a mission to locate the original painting.

The original painting was “…planned for the State Historical building as a gift from the Minnesota Finns” and commissioned by the Minnesota Finnish-American Historical Society. 

John Ilmari Kolehmainen presented an address before a joint meeting of the Minnesota Historical Society and the Minnesota Finnish-American Historical Society in the Historical Building, St. Paul, on October 16, 1944. The occasion was the presentation to the state society of a painting, by Juho Rissanen, representing a Finnish farm homestead.

The trail led me to Brian Szott, Curator of Art, Minnesota Historical Society, who informed me that:

“It’s an interesting story. Unfortunately the original painting was destroyed by fire in 1961. An effort was made to commission the artist’s nephew in 1991 to paint a replica and hang it in Hibbing. He did, but for the lack of funds the replica only got as far as Florida and then it was returned to Finland.

“All we have in our collection is the poster of the original painting.”

"Finnish Farmstead" 1944 by Juho Rissanen (1873-1950)

In her letter to her son Arnold, dated December 1953, Mrs. Peter Koskela wrote:

“I have seen gloomier days as we ate our winter’s supply of food before summer came.  Camp paid earnings and we lived there beside it.  There were days when there wasn’t a “picture of a penny” (we didn’t have a penny) and we have had to go through all the bad days.  And everyone had to do the same.  No one was better off, everyone had it the same.  Now life is priceless.  For us as well as others.”

In her column, Past & Present, in the March 2009, Finnish American Reporter, Sirkka Holm wrote about “one of the most important Finnish foods–viilia!  I might as well say it in English, yogurt.”  It is always made with a “starter” and she wondered how to create a “starter.” 

In 1976, the late Vienna Komula gave me a recipe for the starter:  Take a teaspoon of cultured milk to 1/2 cup of fresh milk, place in a bowl, let stand in a warm place for 6 hours, then place in the refrigerator.  This is usually eaten 24 hours later.  Next time take a teaspoon from the bowl to start your next batch.

People usually get their starter from their neighbors.

The saying has been that when people wanted this viilia it was sent in an envelope from Finland.  A cheese cloth or  piece of cotton cloth was dipped in the viilia, the cloth was dried, placed in an envelope and sent to their friends.  When the cloth was received it was soaked again in milk and a new batch was made.

Mr. & Mrs. Peter Koskela purchased their first refrigerator in 1956.  They were so happy that they were able to make viilia!