Eesti kunsti oksjonid

Oil on cardboard. 1945.
Bottom right: RNyman Rapla 45.

In the spring of 1944, Roman Nyman (1881-1951) moved to Uusküla near Rapla. In September, he began working as a drawing teacher at Rapla Secondary School where he worked until the fall of 1947. Therefore, we often find paintings depicting this region in his work from that time.

Nyman’s paintings from the war years are still in his characteristic stylised-decorative style. He mainly paints landscapes because it is in nature that he finds security and a sense of peace. The artist’s main means of expression becomes, above all, the color itself, which acquires a special glow – just like in this grove, bathed in the evening sun.

Moving criss-cross over the painting surface with a wide brush, he applies golden yellow to the deep brown and a fresh bright green as the top layer, leaving the lower layers visible here and there. In this way, he achieves a result where the colours of the August forest each find their own worthy place and the artist himself finds peace in his heart – no matter what the political situation, nature will never abandon you.

Text: Katre Palm, Mai Levin