Arkadio Laigo 1901–1944 French Landscape. 1931

A rare and previously unknown example of the painting work of graphic artist Arkadio Laigo. Fewer than ten of Laigo’s paintings are held in state collections, and this number is unlikely to be much higher, as Laigo painted infrequently and died young. From 1933 onwards (when Laigo was only 32 years old), he no longer painted at all and devoted himself entirely to graphic art.

Laigo was of Ukrainian origin, and his father was a coppersmith. He began studying art at the Pallas Art School in 1922, where he studied under Nikolai Triik and Peet Aren. However, several trips to Paris played an important role in his artistic development, the first of which took place in 1929. In 1931, he returned to France and, in addition to the present work, painted a similar version that belongs to the Tartu Art Museum.

On the one hand, Laigo has sensitively depicted a small lake nestled among mountains. The lake is framed by dark forests, which create striking color contrasts: the warm tones of the domed landscape are complemented by the cool hues of the forest edge. On the other hand, Laigo pays great attention to composition. He was closely associated with artists who practiced Cubism, and these influences are evident here: mountains and hills form geometric rhythms, and what matters is not only the painterly overall impression but also the conceptual treatment of form.

The work was exhibited at Arkadio Laigo’s solo exhibitions in 1961 and 1962 at the Tartu Art Museum. In the catalogue, the work is listed under number 10. Eha Ratnik writes in the catalogue about Laigo and this particular work:

“As A. Laigo graduated from art school as a painter, the works of his earlier years consist mainly of paintings. These were influenced by the art movements of the time, especially Cubism. He likely received encouragement to work in this direction already at ‘Pallas’, where in his final year his teachers included the representative of Cubism Jaan Vahtra and Peet Aren, who was also influenced by it. Among Laigo’s close acquaintances were also practitioners of this style. In 1928, A. Laigo joined the Estonian Artists Group, which pursued Cubist aims. The influence of Cubism in Laigo’s early work is primarily expressed through strong decorativeness, geometric forms, and an emphatically strict composition. Unlike the Cubists, however, A. Laigo never engages in the ‘dissection’ of forms or the projection of their individual parts.

In his paintings, A. Laigo depicts artists, musicians, bathers, and others; he also creates still lifes, landscapes, and city views. When observing the development of Laigo’s paintings, we see changes mainly in color. In his earlier canvases, the palette is heavy, dominated by bluish-green tones, enlivened by occasional reddish-brown accents. There is strength and vibrancy in his use of color. After his first study trip to Paris in 1929, the overall impression of his works becomes more subdued. In works from 1931, such as ‘Landscape’ and ‘French Landscape’, this muted palette becomes noticeably lighter and paler.”