Kalju Nagel
(1918–2005)
Autumn by the Lake. 1978
Oil, canvas. 60 x 81 cm (framed)
price 5 300
The colouring of the landscape panorama is so Estonian – as our weather often is. By the way, it is amazing how the surrounding atmosphere and the amount of sunshine per year and temperature affect the local perception of colour in a mostly unconscious way, which is generally regarded as normative and is passed on to culture. Kalju Nagel has not found it necessary to name the lake, yet it is understood that it is the famous Lake Pühajärv, where the reflections of clouds on the surface of the water and the surrounding tranquillity offer Nagel the same sensitive experiences as many Estonian artists who walked there before. Paintings of this kind were still born from naturist paintings, as en plein air (plein-air, or open-air painting), which has a long history.