Ott Kangilaski
(1911–1975)
Swallow. 1960s
Drypoint. Plm 29 x 24.8 cm (framed)
price 1 300
Obviously, Ott Kangilaski depicts a beloved national bird, not just a swallow as such. A friendly, courageous bird that chooses to build its nest close to people, under the roof of a farmhouse, with which the people of the countryside have shared their homes for centuries and decades, whose chicks cheer one up, and whose flight predicts the weather (swallows fly very low, almost to the ground before the rain comes). On this graphic sheet, a swallow is flying high, signalling good clear weather. Below, there is a panoramic view of the landscape. In 1967, Ott Kangilaski, an artist and teacher, together with Jaak Kangilaski, published an exceptionally successful textbook, Kunsti kukeaabits (Art ABC), which has inspired a love of art in several generations of Estonian children.