Eesti kunsti oksjonid
Jüri Arrak “Mängur”
Kevadoksjon 2025
Gravure print on paper. 1976.
Signature: “Mängur” sügavtrükk II 10/15 / J. Arrak 1976
| Measurements | Plm 47,6 x 49,4 cm |
|---|---|
| Starting price | 2 900 € |
| Number of bids | 1 |
| Hammer price | 2 900 € |
The 1970s are the first peak period of Jüri Arrak’s (1936-2022) graphic work when such famous prints as “Playing Around a Tree”, “The Illusionist” and “The Gambler” were produced. These prints contain many of the figurative components of the artist’s ambiguous and allegorical creative method in concentrated form.
Arrak places the gambler in a fantastical space where the real and the imaginary merge, as in a dream. The seated figure begins to throw the dice but his opponent is not a person but a force, large and powerful. However, someone in the right corner also tries to extend a helping hand to the human figure.
At the same time, one sees that the leg of the main character is growing out of the ground. Drawing strength from Mother Earth is naturally a figurative act and refers to the Estonians’ strong belief in nature. The richness of the black and white tonality of the work deserves special mention here!
Text: Harry Liivrand