Konrad Mägi 1878–1925 Saaremaa rand. 1913

It is difficult to add something to the Saaremaa-period of Konrad Mägi, but the present work forces us to do so. Let us again remember the poor health of Mägi and his two sanatorium summers at Saaremaa in years 1913 and 1914, which resulted in a couple of dozen of works and a number of sketches, which will soon become pure art history. Scientists, having specialized on the art of Mägi, have independently from each other asserted that it was Saaremaa, where the talent of Mägi opened up in the brightest way and there were born his first works, which were really original and important. Mägi was an excellent and mature artist before Saaremaa, but already of totally different quality after that. Researchers wonder, how the stunted and scanty Saaremaa nature inspired Mägi to such extent that he opened the road for improvisation and unbridled the bounty of colours. But most probably this is a secret, which can never be explained. It was known that Mägi was a nervous person and such characteristic feature did not allow him to work at more time-consuming topics as figural compositions. It was also known that painting with quick, small and rapid brush strikes and continuous grabbing of new colours suited Mägi most. One more secret remains, how Mägi was able to control his handwriting to such an extent that the result was a number of Saaremaa landscapes, which strike the eye thanks to their elaboration. By today the known number of large-format works, having been accomplished at Saaremaa, is not big. Majority of them are in state museums, a few ones in other museums and private collections.
The current work is simultaneously exceptional and confirming the rule. Here Konrad Mägi is really in his top form and we see those qualities that raised him above others: exceptional brightness of colours, improvising, optimism, dash, playfulness, composing in such a manner that on the picture remains a belt of shore and a strip of sea, changing of brush strokes from the dotty style of the landscape to the strikes of the sea. But at the same time there is something new about the colours of Mägi. His unexpected courage to mix blue, white and brown and yet to achieve fabulous results could still be expected. But using of such powerful green together with brownish hues, marking of the coastal line of the peninsulas with white, careful separation of the blue of the sky end sea is already something different.
But maybe already this is too much? Does the knowledge that we are dealing with a large-format landscape, which has been painted by Konrad Mägi at Saaremaa and where all his best qualities have been exposed, is not enough? Obviously not.