Eesti kunsti oksjonid
Viktor Leškin “Vaade Raekojale ”
Kevadoksjon 2025
Oil on canvas. 1949.
Signature: V. Leškin. / Viktor Leškin s. 1914 a. VAADE Raekojale 1949. a.
| Measurements | 55 x 40 cm |
|---|---|
| Starting price | 4 800 € |
| Number of bids | 28 |
| Hammer price | 10 200 € |
Although Viktor Leškin (1914-1998), originally from Petseri County and who received higher art education in Tallinn, graduated as a sculptor, his specialty eventually became painting. As a lecturer at the Estonian Academy of Arts for 38 years, he raised several generations of Estonian artists.
A realist in style, Leškin mostly presented us with direct city views and landscape paintings with strong compositions, which often Had documentary value. However, the painting “View of the Town Hall” depicting the Old Market Square is the artist’s ideal vision of the Tallinn Town Hall, which was damaged in the March bombing in World War II: namely, the late Renaissance-style spire burned down during the bombing, which was only restored in the 1950s.
However, the spire is still there in the painting, painted in 1949! The facade facing the Old Market Square is still designed in the 19th century with pseudo-Gothic niches and closed arches – an interesting historical truth from a modern perspective. The traffic in the Old Town and the people’s clothing are also worth noting in the painting – the artist’s contemporary era is vividly captured.
Text: Harry Liivrand