Eesti kunsti oksjonid

Oil on cardboard. 2007.
Signature: L Saarts ’07 / Lembit Saarts Päike

Born in Tartu County, Lembit Saarts (1924-2016) was an artist with an exceptional sense of color. This work, which belongs to the late period of his work, was completed just a few years before he finally gave up painting due to poor eyesight, which is why this minimalist scene can be seen as a final ode to life.

When describing Saarts’ works, expressions such as lyrical and sensitive use of color, gentle picturesqueness, and conditional treatment of form have been used. This painting combines all of these at once. In the carefully crafted composition, the fragility of the moment is amplified by the playfully careless handling of brushwork and color.

At the same time, one can feel hints of the viewer’s voyeuristic awkwardness, recognizing the intimate presence of the model bathing in the evening sun. Saarts has masterfully hidden both day and night, both sky and water, both still life and dreams in this simple abstraction. Is this an impression or the quintessence of a life well-lived?

Text: Regina Mets