Art > Graphics > Günther Reindorff

Günther Reindorff

1889 - 1974

Günther Reindorff has drawn himself right into the local cultural subconscious – one of the few artists whose works are more well known than his name. He has earned this kind of status with his legendary and unmatched illustrations for Estonian folk tales.

The artist managed to combine fantastically detailed drawing with meaningful motifs. His elaborate landscape compositions and smaller etudes allure with their  meticulous attention to nature, sense of style, and attention paid to the character of the tools his was working with, be it pencil, charcoal, graphite or ink.

Reindorff's favorite genre was landscape rich in symbolism, ranging from wide panoramas to more intimate fragments of nature. The artist was also renowned for designing banknotes, postage stamps, coats of arms, books and more.

Günther Reindorff was born in 1889 in Saint Petersburg. In 1897, the family settled down in Estonia. After receiving basic education in Tallinn, Günther headed to Saint Petersburg Art and Industry Academy in 1905. He studied theatre decoration and etching, and graduated applied arts in 1913. After that, he worked in Saint Petersburg and Moscow for a few years. His connection to Estonian art history began in 1920 when he started teaching at Tallinn Industrial Art School. In 1922, he become the head of its prinmaking studio, and in 1936, the head of the school's printmaking department. Reindorff was an establishing member of Applied Artists' Union (1932–1940) and a member of Estonian Artists' Association (since 1944).

 

To see more artworks from the author take a look at the selection at Online Arthaus.

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