Eesti kunsti oksjonid

Oil on canvas. 1957.
Signature: R. Uutmaa 57 a.

In 1957, Richard Uutmaa (1905-1977) was painting in Otepää, probably also the following year because views of that area, including farm landscapes, have survived from both of them. He also exhibited one of his Otepää landscapes at the national exhibition in the autumn of 1957.

It is noticeable that in the paintings completed at this time, Uutmaa has turned his attention from panoramic views of pure nature to farms. We notice the bluish forests that are so familiar to him in the distance but Uutmaa also paints farmhouses, hay crops and other objects related to the local inhabitants in close-up.

This painting is rare in the artist’s work as it features a human figure – something new in his views of Southern Estonia. It is possible that Uutmaa had found lodgings in one of the farms there and, as a token of gratitude, painted the view of the landlady working there. This small but significant detail makes the work shine in a special way and reminds us of the artist’s coastal views, where the skillfully hidden blue-black-white combinations remained forever.

Text: Mai Levin, Katre Palm