Eesti kunsti oksjonid

Watercolor on paper. 1965.
Signature: R. Uutmaa, 1965 a. / Kalasadam

Richard Uutmaa’s (1905-1977) birthplace, Kõrve farm, was located just a few kilometers from the Altja village harbor. Even as a little boy, his father, a sailor, Kustav, had taken him to work and passed on the fishing instinct to Uutmaa himself – it was his wish that his son would later continue the profession and take over the farm. Therefore, the artist’s future paintings depicting the Altja net sheds carried very personal and deep memories.

Most of Altja’s paintings focus on the winding coastline and the sea that laps around it. In this piece, however, Uutmaa has focused on boats and net sheds, i.e. on conveying the everyday life of a fishing port. At the time of the painting, 35 years had passed since Kustav died, and the knowledge had finally become firmly established that Uutmaa did not become a sailor, but he did become a passionate artist of the subject in art. Perhaps the artist contributed all the more to the subject, as a kind of proof that the sea and marine life can be loved and developed in many different ways.

Text: Katre Palm