John Munsterhjelm

Johan Hjalmar (John) Munsterhjelm (December 11, 1879 Tuulos – 16 August 1925 Helsinki) was a Finnish sculptor.

Biography

He was born to painter Magnus Hjalmar Munsterhjelm and Olga Mathilda Tanninen in Tuulos. He first aimed to become an architect while studying at Helsinki Polytechnical Institute, but he became more interested in applied arts. He studied at a kunstgewerbeschule in Berlin 1902–1903. He went onto further study at the Royal School of Art in Berlin. He made decorative figurines out of bronze and granite, sculpted a city hall facade in Vaasa (showing Charles IX and the double portrait of the national rulers, Pehr Evind Svinhufvud and Gustaf Mannerheim), a large number of portrait busts of prominent persons and medallions.