Johannes Greenberg

A very rare painting from Evald Okas’ early creative period, when his creative freedom was still almost absolute. As a masterful and filigreed painter who mastered the nuances of improvisational painting, Okas has managed to create a three-dimensional painting where layers of colour shine through each other and the virtuosity of his brushstrokes creates a highly interesting texture. The spatiality is exacerbated by Okas’ decision to paint the objects on the windowsill, so that behind them there is a view of the bay visible from the window. Okas’ mastery of light can also be seen in the way he combines the darkness behind the window with the abundance of light in the room. The mannequin, which is the main subject of the painting, is obviously the artist’s tool, as suggested by the palette placed next to the mannequin, but the expressiveness and mystery of the mannequin’s face are captivating and suggest possible additional meanings. So far, only two such early paintings by Evald Okas are known to exist in public collections.