Pioneers in Karelia

Pekka Halonen's artistic goals were closely related to those of Pierre Puvis de Chavannes. Whenever Halonen depicted working life, it was done with an emphasis on calm and balance. As for Pioneers in Karelia, his response to those criticising its restful Sunday mood was that the Finnish peasant is not a slave but an independent, intelligent worker who does not need to exert undue effort to do his work. He also emphasised that he had been aiming for a decorative general impression.