Herald Eelma 1934 Sunday II. 1972

Anne Lõugas noted in the catalogue of Herald Eelma’s solo exhibition held in 1983:

“In the family of contemporary Estonian graphic artists, Herald Eelma stands out as an artistic personality guided by a harmonious ideal. Although his development appears logical and clear, his work nevertheless contains a number of turning points, moments of approaching familiar subjects from new perspectives. The central themes of H. Eelma’s work have been the human being, their connection to the land and homeland, and ethical-social issues.
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At the beginning of the 1970s, a noticeable shift occurs in the artist’s work. He becomes increasingly drawn to more everyday themes and the environment surrounding people. Around the same time, his attitude toward the subject becomes more ethical and evaluative. One of the reasons was undoubtedly the general process of renewal in Estonian art. There was a certain fatigue with the philosophically generalized and multi-layered depth pursued in the 1960s. In the series Sunday (1972), Eelma depicts people in a more immediate and prosaic way than before. A barely perceptible note of humor is added, which, appearing from time to time, provides a counterbalance to the prevailing seriousness of the artist’s work.”