Eesti kunsti oksjonid

Oil on canvas. 1890.
Signature: Reval. Konstant Carlsonn. 1890

Art historian Rein Loodus has mentioned the first exhibition of Konstantin Karlsonn (also Konstant, Karlson, Carlson, 1854-1939), born in Tallinn, as the exhibition held in the Estonian Provincial Museum in 1883 (“Artistic Life in Estonian Cities in the 19th Century”, ETA Institute of History 1993, pp. 68/69 and 75), which also marks the beginning of his major career. The views of his hometown of Tallinn always remained his greatest source of inspiration. It was here that he devotedly passed on his painting and drawing skills and knowledge to his students, including Nikolai Triik.

The artist, who worked as a drawing teacher at the Tallinn City School, had finely detailed cityscapes that continued the Biedermeier tradition and were in great demand among the wealthy art public. One of the great admirers of his work was the family of President Päts.

The most charming part of Karlsonn’s work is the depiction of light – be it early morning, sunset or bright noon, he was able to convincingly convey the subtle shades of all of them on the canvas. The most large-scale part of this work is precisely the exquisitely fairy-tale sky with foamy clouds and the shimmering water surface bathed in sunlight in the foreground. As if imperceptibly, he blends into this natural spectacle the panorama of Tallinn with its clearly recognizable towers and sailboats and steamers gliding on the sea, thus creating a harmonious whole and a real treat for lovers of classic art.

Text: Mai Levin, Katre Palm