Portrait of First Lady unveiled at Presidential Palace

The portrait of First Lady Jenni Haukio was unveiled at the Presidential Palace on Wednesday, said the President Office in a press release.

The portrait has been painted by artist Susanne Gottberg.

The portrait has been painted on birch veneer, which the artist said provided the background with depth and structure as the surface of the background has been partly rubbed down to make the wood visible.

“The plant or branch painted in the foreground of the painting has a dialogue with the tree, and the idea has been to bring more depth and movement to the painting,” Gottberg said, adding that the technique used in the portrait was oil and coloured pencil.

The portrait of Haukio continues the almost 100-year-old tradition of portraits of the spouses of Finnish presidents. The first one was the portrait of Ester Ståhlberg, the wife of former President K.J. Ståhlberg, which was painted by Eero Snellman in 1935.

The portrait of Haukio has been placed in the Atrium Gallery in the Presidential Palace, where the portraits of the previous spouses of Finnish presidents are also located.