Finland 1974 - Focus

[euroswiss]

Finland

29th April 1974 - "Sculpture"
design : Pirkko Vahtero
printer: Bank of Finland Security Printing House

Finland has chosen the relief The Goddess of freedom bestows laurel wreath of victory on youth by Wäinö Aaltonen (1894-1966), one of the one of the leading Finnish sculptors, for their single Europa stamp that year.

image source Ibolli​

This marble work, created in 1940 to decorate the walls of the ballroom at the University of Helsinki, was badly damaged during a bombing raid in February 1944.​

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Aaltonen made in 1959 a new version, which he considered more successful than the original. It is still on display in the lobby of the new side of the main building of the University of Helsinki.

image source Finna.fi​