Eesti kunsti oksjonid

Aquatint on paper. 1955.
Signature: Varemed (akvatinta) / I TORN – 1955

In 1955, Ilmar Torn graduated with honors from the Department of Graphic Arts at the Estonian Academy of Arts. His graduating diploma thesis consisted of a series of socially critical stories. Through expressive human archetypes, he spoke about class struggle, which corresponded to the artistic language of the time.

However, there were other reasons for receiving praise in addition to staying on the given topic, including his excellent mastery of the aquatint technique and the clear communication of the narratives he presented. In “Ruins”, there is a clearly visible theatrical reaction to a disaster.

Whether it is a case of being declared a kulak, a farm being confiscated to cover debts, a house collapsing or some other similar situation – a human disaster resonates with the viewer. The overall grey color scheme facilitates the depiction of the mood. A group of people in the background who are discussing what happened form a separate exciting element in the design.

The print comes to us directly from the Ilmar Torn estate and is known to be the only copy in private hands of his very small-edition diploma thesis.

Text: Harry Liivrand, Katre Palm