Eesti kunsti oksjonid

Watercolor on paper. 1973.
Signature: R. Uutmaa. 1973. / R.Uutmaa “Pühajärv” 1973

Richard Uutmaa’s (1905-1977) favorite time to visit South Estonia was always August and September – that gentle transitional period, at the beginning of which the lush freshness of summer still prevails and at the end, the ripe colors of early autumn begin to triumph. His earliest known painting of Lake Pühajärv dates from his so-called “purple” period (1941, private collection). Already there, we notice the striving for monumentality, which became a common feature of his views of the famous lake.

This watercolor piece is one of those where two periods meet – in the foreground we see a warm fruit yellow and in the background a forest green bursting with freshness. Uutmaa, who loved to thoroughly fine-tune the right perspective before starting work, has taken a step to the right in this view from his usual painting position, so that a low house remains in the frame, which we do not see in most views of Pühajärv. However, this small detail adds an exciting additional nuance to the painting and signals the presence of everyday enjoyers of this uncrowded view.

Text: Katre Palm