The recently released Finnish movie Aalto directed by Virpi Suutari places a great emphasis on Alvar Aalto's ability to market himself, suggesting that the critical international acclaim this celebrated architect won was down to self-promotion.

Can this really be why Aalto is placed alongside Le Corbusier, Mies van der Roheand Frank Lloyd Wright as one of the great modernist architects? Or is this more of a reflection of the fact that it has become almost second nature today to explain away an architect's success by focussing less on the work and more on personal attributes and the power of PR?

The Aalto movie trailer plunges straight into this way of thinking. In it, the film's narrators describe with relish how Aalto knew how to charm the press and how to woo the infinitely rich Rockefellers.

Aalto was clearly a great communicator as is clear from his journalistic abilities when writing about urban planning and housing. He was also known to be good company. A rarity perhaps in Finland, a country known for its introverted and unassuming culture, Aalto was a man of true wit and real charm.

Even if Aalto had been a reticent figure, his work would have drawn critical attention far beyond his native Finland

But, what drew Aalto to the attention of the architectural press and caught the eye of Le Corbusier and other great European and American talents and clients in the first place was not these qualities, but those of his inventive and accomplished architecture. His Paimio Sanitorium was truly a breath of fresh air. Even if Aalto had been a reticent figure, his work would have drawn critical attention early on and far beyond his native Finland.

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