Marcus Collin

Gustaf Marcus Collin (18 November 1882, Helsinki – 22 September 1966, Kauniainen) was an artist from Finland. He was one of the central members of Novemberists, a group of Finnish expressionists.^[1]

Collin was born in Helsinki in educated, Swedish-speaking family. His father was a civil servant. Becoming an artist was not obvious for Collin. He studied law, but did not want to become a civil servant in Finland as an Grand Duchy ruled by Russia. He worked as a journalist, and tried to study architecture, but the mathematics classes were too challenging for him. Then he changed his studies to study art, first in Helsinki later in Paris. He made four elongated trips in continental Europe, and on his fourth visit to Paris he enrolled in Académie Ranson where he was taught by Paul Sérusier. Sérusier drew his attention to composition, and for a while even the use of colour in Collin's work shows influence of Sérusier. The paintings of life in archipelago painted in bright colours were Collin's final breakthrough as an artist.^[1]

Collin became a member of group of artists led by Tyko Sallinen. The group took later the name November Group. In middle of 1910-decade the group started to use more ascetic palettes, and the colour scale of Collin was the most minimal of them all. He only used a few dark shades.^[1]

After 1921 Collin gradually abandoned his gray and brown palette by adding more bright colours. When he became older, his style became more realistic.^[1]

Collin is known for his paintings of people. Many of these illustrate literature, such as Aleksis Kivi's Seven Brothers or Cervantes' Don Quijote.^[2] He portrayed factory workers and farmhands as faceless representatives of their social class.^[3]

Collin was given a honorary title of professor in 1953.^[1] He received the Swedish Prince Eugen Medal in 1957.^[4]

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