Adamson-Eric (1902-1968) ranks among Estonia’s most unique and well-recognised painters and applied art artists. He began his studies at the Pallas, although he acquired his primary education in art in Berlin and Paris, which meant that he possessed extensive experience in art by the end of the 1920s. He undertook a number of educational trips throughout Europe and Russia, with his innovative works thus was able to rely on art experiences of nearly half the world. His works were influenced most by his travels within Greece, where his style approached that of the impressionist tradition, with his use of colours becoming light and radiant.

In actuality, this lightness and radiance already occupied a place of visual importance in his earlier works, and the work Flowers in a Glass Pitcher, which is part of Haus Gallery’s Spring Auction, is a living example of this. Regardless of the fact that the primary tone of the painting is umber, the table shimmers mellifluously; and despite the fact that the lushness of the flowers remains below that of his later bouquets placed in the background of the windows of the studio, the fragile blossoms have a natural and realistic feel to them. It was customary at times for Adamson-Eric to place life-sized human handprints as well as small dwarf-like creatures in the backgrounds of his paintings, and in the case of the work in question, the petals of the country flowers are not simply reaching in the direction of the wall, but also towards the golden-brown female dwarf that is sneaking around there. It is apparent that Adamson-Eric’s creations have been influenced not only by his travels here, but also in other worlds or parallel dimensions, in the best sense of the word.

In addition to working as an artist, Adamson-Eric also worked as an instructor at the Estonian National Institute of Art, and, for example, at a tannery, which allowed him to deal indirectly with applied art even after his expulsion from the Soviet Estonian Artists' Association in 1949 within the framework of the Stalinist repressions. So even more special is the miniature clearing, created a year before his expulsion, which is also up for auction. Fragile and deep, like the author himself.

Haus Gallery’s Spring Auction will be taking place on 27 April at 19.30. The auction exhibition is already open. Auction works can also be viewed in the online catalogue here.