Eesti kunsti oksjonid

Oil on canvas. 1957.
Signature: R. Uutmaa 57. / “Sügis. Otepää maastik”

In the thaw that followed Stalin’s death (1953), Richard Uutmaa (1905-1977) had a new hope for a freer creative expression, which was also reflected in his paintings – his colors became bright and impressionistic again. Thus, his work from 1955 to 1959 could be periodized as a renaissance of bright impressionism. It was then that views of Southern Estonia also appeared in Uutmaa’s work, and the picturesque Otepää was the region where the artist first set foot.

Uutmaa loved to travel south in August and September when the grain fields wore golden hues and the first yellow appeared on the trees. It is this color that also opens up in the natural view before us, which, with its refreshingly light blue lake and a small farmhouse that almost merges with the landscape, feels nostalgically homely and personal.

For Uutmaa, who is used to the gentle coastal views of North Estonia, the hills here offer new challenges – how to depict the alternating rhythm of the hillsides, groups of trees in the foreground and on the distant horizon. He also covers the sky with warm tones reflected from the landscape – it is clearly noticeable that Uutmaa is in love with his model.

Text: Katre Palm