Eesti kunsti oksjonid

Oil on canvas. 1974.
Signature: Lembit. / Lembit Sarapuu Naine punase rätikuga 1974 73 x 54

This painting from the 1970s is part of a series of portraits of female models captured by Lembit Sarapuu (1930-2024) in that decade, which formed an important part of the artist’s solo exhibition “Reality and Truth” at the Art Museum of Estonia in 2022. “Lady with a red shawl” has a solemn and majestic effect with the model’s restrained, thoughtful gaze.

She avoids eye contact with the viewer, as if absent, dealing only with the topics that are important to her. At the same time, the light blue sky and bright summer landscape in the background further enhance the woman’s beauty and meaning – a technique that Sarapuu often used to highlight her models. Thus, Sarapuu combines the distanced view of the portrait from the early Renaissance with the modern generalizing features of a 1970s painting, and achieves a result that firmly establishes his places in the arsenal of Estonian art.

Text: Harry Liivrand, Katre Palm