Eesti kunsti oksjonid

Oil on canvas. 2009.
Signature: MERIKE ESTNA 2009 “MELODRAAMA”

Merike Estna (b. 1980), one of Estonia’s best-known contemporary painters, has created a piece inspired by Margaret Mitchell’s cult novel “Gone with the Wind,” the 1939 film adaptation of which is still considered one of the most important works in film history. In monumental proportions and wrapped in a whirlwind, Estna creates the iconic kiss scene between the main characters Scarlett and Rhett as the base layer of the painting.

But the main content of the work lies – as always with Estna – in solving picturesque problems and creating an interesting coloristic form. The artist demonstrates in the painting an excellent combination of shades of blue and red – her energetic brushstrokes determine the dynamic character of the entire composition and are, in the most literal sense, “gone with the wind”. Thus is born “Melodrama” which combines both the stormy nature of the film that inspired the work and the wild dance of Estonian winds.

The work was presented in the 2013 ERR show “The Art of Our Time. Merike Estna” (https://arhiiv.err.ee/video/vaata/meie-aja-kunst-merike-estna, starting at 3:20).

Text: Harry Liivrand, Katre Palm