Eesti kunsti oksjonid
Joann Saarniit “Rannik kalavõrkudega”
Sügisoksjon 2024
Oil on masonite. 1960.
Signature: John Saarniit / Joann Saarniit. 1960
| Measurements | 31 x 66 cm |
|---|---|
| Starting price | 1 600 € |
Joann Saarniit (1909-1984), who had lived in Canada since 1948, always felt homesick for Estonia. In reality, he was unable to return because he had jumped off a train on the way to a Russian prison camp and was no longer welcome. So, he channeled this longing for his homeland into his paintings, recreating motifs from Estonia’s windy beaches.
“A coast and fish nets” represents precisely this style in Saarniit’s portfolio where hundreds of free-standing boats are spread out on the stormy coastline. Some of them are carrying drying fishing nets while others are still waiting for fresh specimens to arrive from the sea.
The dramatic and tension-filled coastal landscape offers both visual delight and a Nordic crispness of nature. Through the contrasts of brown and bright white on different sides of the painting, Saarniit creates the feeling as if we are simultaneously in the sunlight and moonlight. This approach of synthesizing dreams with reality well-characterizes the artist’s style, for which he is so beloved.
Text: Katre Palm