Schjerfbeck Tote Bag 15% Off with Museum Card, 1–23 December 2026

Helene Schjerfbeck’s Silence (1907) features on this beautiful dark blue tote bag. The bag is made from 310 gsm organic cotton and is certified OCS100 by Ecocert Greenlife. The handles are 70 cm long.

Helene Schjerfbeck painted Silence in Hyvinkää in 1907. Her model was 16-year-old Anna Vilhelmiina Lintumäki, who worked as a seamstress.

In the painting, a young woman looks downwards or keeps her eyes closed. The atmosphere is calm and quiet. She appears absorbed in her own thoughts.

In Schjerfbeck’s works, a downward gaze or closed eyes often play an important role. They suggest that the subject’s attention is not focused on the surrounding world but on their inner life. The viewer cannot fully access the subject’s thoughts or feelings; they remain partly hidden.

It has also been suggested that Schjerfbeck sometimes avoided direct eye contact with her models because she was shy by nature. This may be why she often portrayed them looking elsewhere. However, with models she knew and trusted, she also occasionally depicted direct eye contact.

From the late 19th century onwards, Schjerfbeck’s style became increasingly simplified. Her modern approach to painting was difficult for many of her contemporaries to understand. However, the artist remained focused on her own work and rarely took part in the art debates of her time.

🖼 Schjerfbeck X Nordea Art Foundation exhibition was on display at the Gallery of Jyväskylä Art Museum from 25 September to 8 November 2026.