Tove Jansson

Bukowskis is pleased to present several unique glass paintings made by Tove Jansson in 1941 for the iconic restaurant Tullinpuomi on Mannerheimintie in Helsinki. The specially commissioned paintings, which were Jansson's first public commission, were a prominent part of the restaurant's interior and were installed at the entrance and elevator. Until today, only a few documented images of the paintings have been available.

The objects on offer include four larger motifs and a number of smaller garland-paintings. The larger paintings are in Tove Jansson's characteristic style, with imaginative scenes of women smoking nonchalantly and walking funny dogs in settings straight out of the Moomin world. These paintings served as the starting point for Tove Jansson's so-called decorative style, which focused on narrative and figurative elements.

The unique paintings were thought to have been lost when the restaurant underwent an extensive renovation in the 1980s, but it was recently discovered that the estate’s caretaker back then, in a true act of culture, rescued them from a lorry heading for the dump at the last minute. The paintings have since been passed down through the family and are now being auctioned for the first time at the Helsinki Spring Sale, 17-29 May.