Oskar Kallis 1892–1918 Natüürmort. 1912

It is the general knowledge that the creative heritage of Oskar Kallis is very rare in numbers. During his short life the grand name of the local symbolism was able to create just a few works. “Natüürmort” reveals us the unexpected side of the artist’s creation. Here the young artist is not romantic in an over-sensitive manner, instead he is down-to-earth and concrete. Most probably while studying at Laikmaa’s studio school he has been given the task to deal with one of the main genres of learning to paint, the 20-year-old artist has been made to paint a still-life. Still, he is not dryly correct, but he generalizes the forms, ignores the rules of exactness and is more interested in factors being characteristic to art: he is interested in colours and their mutual influence. The man, who dreamed of epical paintings, represents here a totally controversial side: an intimate format, a simple motif, but also artist’s desire and assurance.