Eesti kunsti oksjonid

Oil on masonite. 1950s.
Bottom left: SAARNIIT

We do not find frozen water in Joann Saarniit’s winter landscapes. Even in heavy snow, the water in his paintings flows unceasingly, as if a sign of constant progress. Saarniit himself also kept moving forward. Having been handcuffed by the Red Army twice, he managed to escape from them and continue his successful artistic career in Canada.

The painting, which carries the sound of the quiet flow of the stream within it, has the effect of a winter wonderland. Saarniit had the talent to convey the glow of sunlight on fresh snow and enrich it with compositionally balanced natural objects. Even the barren trees visible in the distance have acquired a romantically gloomy appearance under the artist’s hand and invite you to step forward to the accompaniment of the murmur of the water.

Text: Katre Palm