Wäinö Aaltonen: Maaemo suojelee poikiaan / Mother Earth protects her sons, 1960. You may not use this photo for commercial purposes. © Photo: Helsinki Art Museum / Hanna Kukorelli Maaemo suojelee poikiaan / Mother Earth protects her sons Artist Wäinö Aaltonen Gert Skytten puisto, Munkkiniemi, Helsinki “Mother Earth protects her sons”, dated 1959, is one of Wäinö Aaltonen’s (1894-1966) late works. Aaltonen was no longer committed to heavy monumentalism in his figures; “Mother Earth protects her sons” shows an expressive undercurrent. The Classicism of the boy in the work is countered by a more cubistically sketched symbolical female figure. The work was unveiled on June 5, 1960 and is located at the Munkkiniemi soldiers’ grave. The bronze cast sculpture is 2.4 metres high, not including it’s grey granite pedestal on which the words “Pro Patria” (for the fatherland) are inscribed. The work belongs to the collections of the Helsinki Art Museum. Read more.. At map
