| The Defense of the Sampo | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Artist | Akseli Gallen-Kallela |
| Year | 1896 |
| Medium | Tempera |
| Dimensions | 122 cm × 125 cm (48 in × 49 in) |
| Location | Turku Art Museum, Turku |
The Defense of the Sampo (Finnish: Sammon puolustus) is a tempera-on-canvas Romantic national painting created in 1896 by Finnish painter Akseli Gallen-Kallela. The painting illustrates a passage from the Kalevala, the Finnish national epic compiled by Elias Lönnrot in the 19th century.
The scene portrayed is taken from the 43rd song of the epic, where the hero Väinämöinen, seen wielding a sword, has stolen the precious artifact Sampo from the evil witch Louhi, and she, having taken the form of a giant bird, is trying to reclaim it. The battle for the Sampo is also given a deeper connotation as a battle for the soul of Finland.[1]
- ^ "Akseli Gallen-Kallela (1865–1931): Sammon puolustus, 1896" (in Finnish). Turku Art Museum. Retrieved 25 March 2011.