Eesti kunsti oksjonid

Oil on masonite.

The honey-sweet sound rings in the ear:
“Quickly, take a piece of wood from this tree!
Three drops of tar from the finger to the beloved,
so that he knows your love!”

Excerpt from Leelo Tungal’s poem

In the paintings of Edgar Valter (1929-2006), man and nature meet, always in harmony. Yet the artist loves to surprise us again and again with small quirks. His love for the grotesque is also evident in this painting that interprets biblical mythology.

The action taking place in the context of the Garden of Eden first refers to the peaceful coexistence of representatives of the animal kingdom – a tiger cheerfully carries a bird on its back, a frog and a snake are next to each other like old friends and of course, the first humans, Adam and Eve are socializing with wild animals. We are presented with a picture of a harmoniously functioning society, where the tiver, Adam and Eve are even made to eat some grass! Ah, how beautiful life was back then, even the ideal of vegetarians! An ideal work to decorate the home of both a food connoisseur and an art lover who loves wholesome humor.

The work is reproduced in the book “A Wreath is a Wreath” (Tallinn, 2009, p. 27).

Text: Harry Liivrand, Katre Palm