Eesti kunsti oksjonid
Ilmar Torn “Lõikuskuu ilma päikeseta”
Sügisoksjon 2024
Aquatint on paper. 1955.
Signature: Lõikuskuu ilma päikeseta (akvatinta) / I TORN – 1955
| Measurements | Plm 31 x 39,5 cm |
|---|---|
| Starting price | 2 000 € |
| Number of bids | 1 |
| Hammer price | 2 000 € |
Ilmar Torn’s (1921-1999) third print “Summer with no sun” was created as part of his diploma thesis at the Estonian Academy of Sciences. It tells the story of rural life during the harvest period. A young mother seeking shelter for a moment with her sleeping child in the shade of a grain harvester contrasts with the men harvesting in the distance.
The sun shines like a beast, there is not a breath of wind to breathe… Torn, who by that time already had a family and four children of his own, saw firsthand how great the workload of women was. Even with a baby in tow, they could not stay away from the hard work of the field and so, the title of the print speaks for itself.
“Summer with no sun”, which clearly visualizes hot weather and genuine labor, draws attention to the spiritual level and the self-sacrificing role of women in the society of the time. The print comes to auction from the Ilmar Torn estate and is the only surviving copy of his very small-edition diploma thesis that is in private hands.
Text: Harry Liivrand, Katre Palm