Nikolai Kull

Paintings of Nikolai Kull, who had studied under the supervision of Ants Laikmaa and Nikolai Triik in Pallas, were concentrated to a great extent on the motifs of the port of Tallinn and the old city, at the depiction of which he preferred grey tones. As the son of a seaman and having himself worked as a seaman, Kull has often preferred at painting of the old city the view that can be seen at approaching the city from the port. This winter view that has been painted approximately in the Mere avenue area is despite the abundance of landscape and city views in the Estonian art an exceptional one, as Kull has painted not a green summer, but a crisp wintry city view.
The special freshness of the cold is empasized by painting the snow bright white. This is not only a conventional white colour that tells us about the presence of winter, but rather a style, how Kull can create an atmosphere, to show the presence of the cold air everywhere. This is a painting that just exists in its being - it is quietly somewhere on the wall and the whole city with it as well.