Helene Schjerfbeck
Royal Academy – until 27th October 2019 If the name Helene Schjerfbeck doesn’t ring a bell, you are not alone, but by now you probably have been intrigued by the haunting portrait in the poster advertising the RA exhibition, and wonder why such a distinctive artist is not more familiar. Unless, of course, you are Finnish.
Born in Helsinki in 1862, and died in Sweden in 1946, Schjerfbeck had a long and extremely productive career. Her talent was recognised very early on, at