Kilpiveistos / Shield

Finne’s work ‘Shield’ is set above the main entrance to the head office of the Insurance Company Kaleva, designed by Armas Lindgren. It underlines the palace-like spirit of the building, created by the Neo-Baroque interior and the granite façade. The sculpture contains the text “Vahva Vakuudessa Turva” or “Solid Security through Insurance”.

Famous architects often commissioned decorative works from Gunnar Finne. This is due to the fact that the role of architects in Finland changed early in the century, when the tasks of the architect were more formally separated from that of the artist. This was particularly apparent in the decoration of buildings. Thanks to his studies in architecture Finne was able to co-operate well with architects and produce work which was in harmony with the buildings and their materials.

The work doesn’t belong to the collections of the Helsinki Art Museum.