Eesti kunsti oksjonid

Etching, copper engraving on paper. 1930.
Signature: RUE MAISON DIEU PARIS / L’erfer – eau forte et gr. au burin 1930 / Eduard Wiiralt

Eduard Wiiralt’s (1898-1954) “Inferno” (https://www.europeana.eu/et/galleries/8964-masterpieces-of-estonian-art), selected as one of the 12 most influential works in Estonian art history, has no equal in the field of graphic art. Wiiralt began preparing this iconic copper engraving that was completed in 1932, in 1930. The print was partly inspired by the then-spreading surrealism and partly by the fantasy whipped up by the artist’s lifestyle. At the same time, it is an allegory of a person and a society given over to a passion for destruction and other vices.

The social meaning of “Inferno” is easier to define by its so-called companion piece “Cabaret” (originally titled “Dance of Life”), which presents an image of an unbridled orgy, the quintessential human thirst for pleasure that buries any spiritual aspirations. In the case of “Inferno,” which talks about its aftermath, Wiiralt has admitted that the design contains many symbols and images from his own subconscious, which grew out of hallucinations caused by partying in Montparnasse.

A machine-man shooting from a cannon-like nose, a head spewing fire and cat people – nothing in this twisting, bubbling world refers to real life. Thus, the artist’s deeply personal and expressive style, which has found its brightest expression in the print considered to be Wiiralt’s masterpiece, finds its most vivid expression.

This print is in exceptionally good condition.

Text: Mai Levin, Katre Palm