Eesti kunsti oksjonid
Uno Roosvalt “Mees ja meri”
Sügisoksjon 2024
Oil on canvas. 1975.
Signature: U Roosvalt 1975 / UNO ROOSVALT “MEES JA MERI“ 1975 ÕLI 98 x 116
| Measurements | 98 x 116 cm |
|---|---|
| Starting price | 6 600 € |
| Number of bids | 1 |
| Hammer price | 6 600 € |
The theme of the sea has always been close to Uno Roosvalt (b. 1941) who creatively developed the expressionist painting tradition in Estonia. “The man and the sea” was painted in 1975 and is a classic example of this. Roosvalt is a realist and a poet in his approach to what he depicts, making life visible and recognizable is important to him.
That is why he paints an old fisherman in the foreground of the sea painting as we are used to imagining this man as a representative of the profession: a face with harsh lines covered in wrinkles, wearing a thick woolen sweater with a turtleneck. The message is clear: sea work requires a strong man.
However, there is another and much more exciting level of meaning in the painting, namely the visual one. The gradation of the colors of the sea resembles the blue-black-white tricolor. Therefore, the painting can also be read as a composite portrait of an Estonian with a hard-working nature.
Text: Harry Liivrand