Eesti kunsti oksjonid

Oil on plywood. 1921.
Signature: N. Kull 1921

Nikolai Kull’s (1894-1945) late-impressionist view of the high Toompea slope from Toompark across Schnell Pond is a poetic depiction of Tallinn’s Old Town, a testament to the artist’s earlier work. Studying at Ants Laikmaa’s studio school had infused Kull with drive and energy, and so he wandered around his hometown looking for motifs with an interesting angle, which he found in the view of the dramatically rising upper town.

From Toompea Castle, only the small corner tower of the Arrow Sharpener can be seen but the Cathedral Church and the mighty front of the houses are also visible, but even more exciting than the architecture is his dramatic use of color. Sometimes he has pressed a broad brush into several colors at once, in other places he has emphasized the pure nuances of sensitive tones. The melodramatic clouds, which smoothly disperse into bright and sunny colors in the right corner become a sight in themselves – a sign of a truly talented colorist. The mood in the work is also created by the water on the moat, which reflects both the sky above it and the surrounding trees. A great painting for lovers of old Tallinn!

Text: Harry Liivrand, Katre Palm