Eesti kunsti oksjonid

Oil on plywood. 1940.
Signature: A. Jegorov REVAL 1940.

Apteegi Street, located in Tallinn’s Old Town, was first mentioned in the 14th century when it was the most direct route for monks from the Dominican monastery to the market square. The street, which was once also called Rätsepa Street, received its current name after the town pharmacy that’s located at the top of its ascending arch.

Andrei Jegorov (1878-1954), one of the most loyal painters of the Old Town, was captivated by its centuries-old buildings. He also chose the viewpoint of his 1940 painting so that the doorway of the town pharmacy, which gave the street its name, could be seen from above. The note “REVAL” after the signature may mean that the work was commissioned by one of the local German art lovers, perhaps a settler.

The figure walking along the street whose red skirt adds a lively accent to the piece, moves towards the sunlight. However, it is precisely in the transmission of the latter that the greatest charm of the painting lies. The recent rain has left a few puddles of water on the street, and do you notice how Jegorov brings a sparkling glow to the painting? The light seems to flow along the natural downward slope of the street, carrying the warm yellow of the sun in the upper part with it, and mixing with more and more grayish-blue water droplets in the shadows until it dissipates completely.

Text: Katre Palm, Mai Levin