page_title: Akseli Gallen-Kallela
section_title: Paris
hierarchical_section_title: Akseli Gallen-Kallela / Life and career / Paris
context_page_description: Akseli Gallen-Kallela was a Finnish painter who is best known for his illustrations of the Kalevala, the Finnish national epic. His work is considered very important for the Finnish national identity. He changed his name from Gallén to Gallen-Kallela in 1907.
context_section_description: In 1884 he moved to Paris, to study at the Académie Julian. In Paris he became friends with the Finnish painter Albert Edelfelt, the Norwegian painter Carl Dørnberger, and the Swedish writer August Strindberg. During this period he traveled back and forth between Finland and Paris.
caption: Self-Portrait at the Easel, 1885
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