The Attack (painting)

[1] The painting represents the Russian double-headed eagle attacking the Finnish Maiden trying to rob her of her book of laws.

The painting was completed in 1899, the same year when emperor Nicholas II of Russia gave his publication known as the February Manifesto.

After the gendarmerie learned of the painting Isto escaped to Germany via Sweden with the painting and its prints, where the Berlin press Meissenbach & Rippart had over ten thousand rotogravure photographic reproductions of 48 × 37.5 cm (picture size 30 × 21.5 cm) made of it.

Alex Federley made a postcard variation of the painting, where the double-headed eagle has given up and left the Finnish Maiden alone with her book of laws.

So Isto bought the painting back from her and sold it to a Swedish businessman from Luleå, who later gave it to the municipal official Niilo Helander in Heinola.