Nikolai Kull
(1894–1945)
Self-Portrait. 1921
Pastel, paper. Lm 69 x 49.3 cm (framed)
price 4 300
Extremely rare and masterful, Nikolai Kull’s self-portrait expands our knowledge of Kull’s paintings. Until now, we knew him mainly as a portrait of harbours and cities, but now we see him as a filigree portraitist. The self-portrait, vigorously and vividly painted, yet meticulously detailed and technically masterly, creates a composite portrait of the author that is both psychological and emotional, but becomes a generalisation thanks to a truly successful style of painting. We are no longer looking at it narrowly as a portrait of Nikolai Kull, but at the drive and determination of a young man in search. The work is even strikingly different in form from Kull’s later paintings, being realistically precise and emotionally powerful.
This is probably Nikolai Kull’s earliest self-portrait, painted while he was studying at Ants Laikmaa’s studio school in his late 20s. The interest in portraiture as well as the use of pastel techniques, which Kull later did not explore so actively, probably originated with Laikmaa. Another self-portrait created in the same pastel technique is in the collection of the Art Museum of Estonia. The work belonged to the private collection of the heirs of Elfriede Lender (1882–1974), the founder and head of the first Estonian-language girls’ grammar school.
Booking and purchase
Appearance in auctions
![Alpine Mountain Village Scene](/content/teosed/19660_t.jpg)
Alpine Mountain Village Scene
1922. Water-glue color on canvas 69.5 x 91.5 cm (framed)
ESTONIAN ART CLASSICS AUCTION: Haus Gallery 04.05.2024
23 000
Final price: 40 000
![Tallinn View](/content/teosed/20862_t.jpg)
Tallinn View
1930s. Oil, canvas 44.5 x 62 cm (framed)
ESTONIAN ART CLASSICS AUCTION: Haus Gallery 04.05.2024
4 900
Final price: 7 200
![View of Tallinn](/content/teosed/19552_t.jpg)
View of Tallinn
1943. Oil, plywood 44 x 36 cm (framed)
ESTONIAN ART CLASSICS AUCTION: TIMELESS VISIONS Haus Gallery 04.11.2023
2 200
Final price: 8 000
![Self-Portrait](/content/teosed/19035_t.jpg)
Self-Portrait
1921. Pastel, paper Lm 69 x 49.3 cm (framed)
ESTONIAN ART AUCTION - MID-19TH CENTURY TO 1965 Haus Gallery 06.05.2023
3 700
Final price: 4 300
![Port of Tallinn](/content/teosed/18891_t.jpg)
Port of Tallinn
1930s. Oil, canvas on cardboard 43 x 58 cm (framed)
EARLIER ART CLASSICS Haus Gallery 29.10.2022
3 600
Final price: 7 700
![Wintery City View](/content/teosed/16645_t.jpg)
Wintery City View
1930-1945. Oil, canvas 57 x 76 cm (framed)
EESTI VANEMA KUNSTI KLASSIKA OKSJON Haus Gallery 07.05.2021
3 800
Final price: 8 500
![Corner View of Old Town](/content/teosed/15913_t.jpg)
Corner View of Old Town
1933. Oil, canvas on plywood 36 x 51 cm (framed)
AUTUMN 2020 Haus Gallery 30.10.2020
1 300
Final price: 1 950
![Lilled](/content/teosed/15437_t.jpg)
Lilled
1929. Oil, cardboard 54 x 42 cm (framed)
HAUS GALLERY'S AUTUMN AUCTION 2019 Haus Gallery 04.10.2019-31.10.2019
2 200
Final price: 2 200
![Tallinna vaade](/content/teosed/14959_t.jpg)
Tallinna vaade
1930. Oil, canvas 63 x 78 cm (framed)
Haus Gallery's spring auction Haus Gallery 25.04.2019
4 300
Final price: 6 200
![Saaremaa motiiv](/content/teosed/13086_t.jpg)
Saaremaa motiiv
1930-1940. 1 52 x 65 cm (framed)
HAUS GALLERY XLI AUCTION. SPRING 2017 Haus Gallery 04.04.2017-30.11.1999
2 550
Final price:
![Talvemaastik reega](/content/teosed/13124_t.jpg)
Talvemaastik reega
1930-1940. oil on canvas 60 x 87.5 cm (framed)
HAUS GALLERY XL AUCTION, AUTUMN 2016. Haus Gallery 28.10.2016
2 100
Final price: 2 100
![Saaremaa tuulikud](/content/teosed/12831_t.jpg)
Saaremaa tuulikud
1930-1940. oil on plywood 45.5 x 67.8 cm (framed)
HAUS GALLERY XXXIX AUCTION 2016 spring Haus Gallery 30.03.2016
1 900
Final price:
![Pakri talu](/content/teosed/11510_t.jpg)
Pakri talu
1938. oil on canvas 53 x 70.5 cm (framed)
Haus Gallery 25.10.2013
1 700
Final price:
![Suvine talumaastik](/content/teosed/11276_t.jpg)
Suvine talumaastik
1930-1940. oil on canvas 48 x 59.5 cm (framed)
Haus Gallery 28.03.2013
1 300
Final price: 2 200
![Talumotiiv](/content/teosed/11068_t.jpg)
Talumotiiv
1930-1940. oil on canvas 42.5 x 60 cm (framed)
Haus Gallery 26.10.2012
1 800
Final price:
![Tallinna katused](/content/teosed/10761_t.jpg)
Tallinna katused
1930-1940. oil on plywood 28.5 x 41.5 cm (framed)
HAUS GALLERY XXXI ART AUCTION. 2012 spring Haus Gallery 20.04.2012
1 190
Final price:
![Talvine Tallinn](/content/teosed/10705_t.jpg)
Talvine Tallinn
1940-1945. oil on canvas 58 x 68 cm (framed)
HAUS GALLERY XXXI ART AUCTION. 2012 spring Haus Gallery 20.04.2012
2 650
Final price: 4 350
![Ruhnu kirikud](/content/teosed/10473_t.jpg)
Ruhnu kirikud
1924. oil on cardboard 52 x 67 cm (framed)
HAUS GALLERY XXX ART AUCTION 2011 autumn Haus Gallery 14.10.2011
3 000
Final price: 3 000
![Natüürmort](/content/teosed/9907_t.jpg)
Natüürmort
1936. oil on canvas 74.5 x 92 cm (framed)
Haus Gallery 08.11.2010-10.11.2010
2 876
Final price:
![Saare maastik](/content/teosed/4500_t.jpg)
Saare maastik
1930-1940. Oil, canvas 41 x 57 cm
HAUS GALLRY XIX ART AUCTION, 2006 autumn. Old Masters Painting Haus Gallery 24.10.2006
1 470
Final price: 10 354
![Purjekas merel](/content/teosed/3860_t.jpg)
Purjekas merel
1933. Pastel, cardboard 35 x 42 cm (framed)
HAUS GALLERY XVIIth ART AUCTION, 2005 autumn Haus Gallery 20.10.2005
1 981
Final price: 1 981
![Narva](/content/teosed/3861_t.jpg)
Narva
1938. Oil on canvas 71 x 86 cm
HAUS GALLERY XVIIth ART AUCTION, 2005 autumn Haus Gallery 20.10.2005
3 387
Final price: 5 081
![Talvine vaade Tallinnale](/content/teosed/3484_t.jpg)
Talvine vaade Tallinnale
1930. Oil on plywood 47 x 57 cm (not framed)
HAUS GALLERY XVth ART AUCTION, 2004 autumn Haus Gallery 21.10.2004
1 598
Final price: 4 250
![Tallinna vaade](/content/teosed/2781_t.jpg)
Tallinna vaade
1929. Oil on cardboard 45 x 53 cm
HAUS / XIIth AUCTION, 2003 spring Haus Gallery 24.04.2003
1 342
Final price: 2 844
![Talvine Tallinn](/content/teosed/2390_t.jpg)
Talvine Tallinn
1939. Oil on canvas (sackcloth) 78 x 97 cm
HAUS / XI AUCTION, 2002 autumn Haus Gallery 24.10.2002
2 493
Final price: 3 004
![Lilled](/content/teosed/2256_t.jpg)
Lilled
Undated. 53 x 39 cm
HAUS / IX AUCTION, 2001 autumn Haus Gallery 20.10.2001
1 214
Final price: 1 374
![Pikk jalg Oleviste kirikuga](/content/teosed/2257_t.jpg)
Pikk jalg Oleviste kirikuga
1942. 35 x 45 cm
HAUS / IX AUCTION, 2001 autumn Haus Gallery 20.10.2001
799
Final price:
![Talu Pakri saarel](/content/teosed/2474_t.jpg)
Talu Pakri saarel
1939. Oil on canvas 65 x 83 cm
HAUS / VII AUCTION, 2000 autumn Haus Gallery 26.10.2000
1 598
Final price: 2 461
![Lilled](/content/teosed/2476_t.jpg)
Lilled
1930. Oil on cardboard 50 x 40 cm
HAUS / VII AUCTION, 2000 autumn Haus Gallery 26.10.2000
1 214
Final price: 1 214
![Lilled](/content/teosed/2475_t.jpg)
Lilled
Undated. Oil on canvas 53 x 39 cm
HAUS / VI AUCTION, 2000 spring Haus Gallery 27.04.2000
1 214
Final price: 1 374
![A Farm On Pakri Island](/content/teosed/2621_t.jpg)
A Farm On Pakri Island
1938. Oil on canvas 56 x 70 cm (framed)
HAUS / V AUCTION, 1999 autumn Haus Gallery 12.10.1999
Final price:
![SADAM](/content/teosed/2472_t.jpg)
SADAM
1920. 63 x 69 cm (not framed)
HAUS / II AUCTION, 1998 spring Haus Gallery 25.05.1998
2 109
Final price: 2 224
Appearance in exhibitions
![View of Sikupilli](/content/teosed/20781_t.jpg)
View of Sikupilli
1938. Oil, canvas 97 x 79 cm (framed)
HAUS GALLERY Haus Gallery 08.03.2024
![In the Harbour](/content/teosed/19161_t.jpg)
In the Harbour
1941. Oil, canvas 38 x 50 cm (framed)
WORKS FROM TWO PRIVATE COLLECTIONS Haus Gallery 15.02.2023-13.03.2023
![A Farm On Pakri Island](/content/teosed/2621_t.jpg)
A Farm On Pakri Island
1938. Oil on canvas 56 x 70 cm (framed)
WORKS FROM TWO PRIVATE COLLECTIONS Haus Gallery 15.02.2023-13.03.2023