Karl Burman seenior 1882–1965 Winter View of Kiek in de Kök. 1946

After World War II, the motifs of Tallinn’s Old Town began to appear in Estonian art, as Tartu had been destroyed as a centre of artistic life and many artists had fled, been killed or moved to Tallinn. For Karl Burman there was nothing new in the motifs of the Old Town, he liked the medieval milieu and often depicted it. In this painting, in addition to the architectural object, he has also tried to convey the urban life, which even has something optimistic about it thanks to the use of cheerful yellow tones. It is striking that when painting in 1946, Burman avoided the destruction of Harju street, which took place right next door, and preferred to create a painting for the viewer that shows the continuation of what once was. In this way, it transforms the urban motif of the painting into a work with a broader message, as it speaks of survival instead of destruction.