Eesti kunsti oksjonid

Drypoint on paper. 1944.
Signature: Kuivnõel – 1944 1. proovitrükk / Richard Kaljo

The virtuosic graphic artist Richard Kaljo (1914-1978) whose greatness we are increasingly beginning to notice as the heir to Eduard Wiiralt’s mantle, created original pieces during the German occupation, in which a separate subsection is formed by bright prints that completely ignore the events of the war, including this one.

In the context of Estonian art, “By the water” is also rare for the reason that naked young men are almost never depicted in Estonian art (unlike in Finnish or Latvian art). The carefree summer situation of tanned boys on the beach – notice the masterful modeling of the bodies with light and shadow – symbolizes the continuation of the people, their youthfulness and the ability to relax even in difficult times despite all difficulties.

Kaljo’s engraving of water and sky is exceptionally subtle, achieving the illusion of spatial depth and spaciousness with simple techniques. The print is reproduced in the book accompanying the exhibition “Richard Kaljo. Stories in Graphics and Letters” held at Kumu in 2014-2015, on page 66, and in the catalogue section, on page 146.

The prints comes to us from the Richard Kaljo estate, with which we celebrate the maestro’s 110th birthday.

Text: Harry Liivrand