Annankatu on a Cold Winter Morning

Magnus von Wright had an interesting view from the window of his Helsinki home. This painting is a rare depiction of Helsinki in the Empire style era. The colours characteristic of this period - blue, yellow and white - also dominate this work, which was to be one of the artist's last. Magnus von Wright did not take a serious interest in oil painting until he was around 40 years old. He created a series of paintings of manors and cityscapes over a period of twenty years. The atmosphere of a cold winter's morning on Annankatu is serene and reminiscent of life in a small town. Great attention has been given to details without neglecting the whole. One can almost sense the frost biting the cheeks and hear the crunching of boot against snow on the street.