Nikolai Kull
1894–1945
Kalevipoeg Testing the Sword. 1914
Pastel, paper. Lm 53.5 x 70 cm (framed)
price 14 100
Bottom right: N. Kull 1914
The theme of Kalevipoeg reached Estonian art quite early on, and in the 1910s many young artists worked with it. The folktale hero was a symbol of our identity, and in a politically sensitive time he was depicted not primarily for artistic or even mythological reasons, but for political ones. For this reason, it is understandable why Nikolai Kull's paintings are unusually dramatic and powerful. It is not just an illustration of one legend, but wants to express and claim something very important. Dark blue colors, a very tense scene, an epic landscape opening into the distance and a strikingly large format for that time make this painting almost a political manifesto. At the same time, artistic principles have not been forgotten: the artist has worked carefully on the composition, the contrasts and harmonies of colors have been highlighted, the expressiveness of the figures has been preferred to the anatomical accuracy.