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Elin Danielson-Gambogi: At the Breakfast Table (1890)
The turn of the 20th century was a veritable scene of changes. Europe, in a stage of fast economical, technological and cultural progress, was developing into a modern society. The era of exceptionally vivid cultural exchange provided also Finnish literature with opportunities for artistic dialogue and provoked literature to discuss cultural change. The rapid social development produced images of collapsing culture such as the entropic Naturalist vision and the degenated, melancholy view of Decadence. Literature reflected more optimistic ideas. Realism showed a striving to change society; Symbolism expressed nostalgia for the world of Ideas, and Modernism sought inspiration from technological development.