Artists of the Ateneum series sheds new light on the classics of Finnish art. The second artist featured in the series is Hugo Simberg. The writer of the book, Marja Lahelma (PhD), is an art historian specializing in Nordic turn-of-the-century art, Symbolist art, and the links between science, art and religion. Lahelma ushers the reader on a journey through the life and work of Hugo Simberg, sharing new academic insights on topics such as Simbergs links with European art history. Hugo Simberg (1873-1917) is a key proponent of Finnish Symbolism. Angels, devils and Grim Reapers make up the inimitable gallery of fantasy characters populating his wide-ranging oeuvre, which also includes portraits and landscapes. Common to all his art was a quest to uncover a hidden plane of reality. In addition to painting watercolours and oils, he was also an accomplished graphic artist. The Ateneum Art Museum / Finnish National Gallery owns a significant collection of works by Simberg; over 800 at the time this book will be published. The artists original photographs and letters are preserved in the Finnish National Gallery’s Archive Collections.