Magnus von Wright

Magnus von Wright (Haminalahti, Kuopio, 1805 – Helsinki, 1868) was a Finnish painter and teacher who wrote in Swedish. He is best known for his bird illustrations, though he also worked as a landscape painter. He was one of four artist siblings, alongside his brothers Wilhelm and Ferdinand, and he remains a reference point for natural-history painting in Finland.

He first became interested in birds as a schoolboy in Turku, and he completed his training in Stockholm. His first professional commission was illustrating a multi-volume survey of Finnish culture. He then worked for the ornithologist Nils Bonde on *Svenska Fåglar*, assisted by Wilhelm. He is thought to have been the first in Sweden to use lithography for printing bird illustrations.

Back in Finland he worked as a cartographer, then as a taxidermist and drawing teacher at the University of Helsinki. In 1857 he travelled to Düsseldorf, where he produced a series of still lifes. His views of Helsinki and its surroundings are regarded as historically valuable. He also helped rebuild the botanical and zoological collections of Turku after the Great Fire, and sat on the board of the Finnish Art Association from 1846 until his death.