Valerian Loik
(1904 - 1986)
Old Town Courtyard. 1960s
Oil, canvas. 45 x 38 cm (framed)
price 4 400
Depictions of Tallinn’s Old Town proliferated in Estonian painting after World War II, replacing the tradition of depictions of various places in Tartu that had dominated until then. Now, medieval Tallinn became predominant, and through it, Estonian identity began to be created. There were a number of reasons for painting the Old Town: the relocation of the artists to Tallinn, the romantic charm of the Old Town and, at the time, its openness, which allowed access to the inner courtyards, as well as the non-political nature of the subject matter and, therefore, its promise. In this painting, Valerian Loik continues the tradition of the Tartu suburban painting of his time, stepping into a backyard and romanticising it with bright colours. However, he does not focus on social deprivation, but on the milieu and the rhythms created by the different parts of the building. Open windows add freedom and liveliness, but, as is often the case in Estonian art, Loik does not let the people living in the houses into the painting.