THROUGHOUT HISTORY
Foreword: Piia Ausman, Curator of the Auction
Author of the catalogue texts: Heie Marie Treier, Art Historian (TLU/BFM)
Haus Gallery’s 2023 selection of graphics and drawings is presented in chronological order, similar to our selection of older and modern art auctions. We move through the medley of the early decades of art, with the aim of drawing a comprehensive picture of the development of Estonian graphic art that is as diverse as possible and encompasses the characteristics of the eras. Graphic art is an in-depth visual art medium whose world, which at first appears mostly in black and white, may not open up in a very intrusive way, but is all the more captivating the more you delve into its substantive and technical details.
There are still questions about the value and importance of graphic art, knowing that this extremely time-consuming and difficult to produce using traditional techniques often allows for the creation of more than a single and unique work. A pre-determined number of copies will be printed of each graphics panel. However, even in this case, the rarity is appreciated, which always remains the first proofs of editions, the authors’ own creative rehearsals, where they experiment with the choice of colours and the intensity of the final result, or where, after the rehearsals, they continue to work on the graphics panel. Also of interest are preparatory works for a print, often drawings that precede the main work, illustrating the artist’s thought and hand movements.
This year’s selection of the Haus Gallery’s graphics auction is based on the principle of exhibiting the most unique works created in this technique by authors who are undisputed professionals and skilled masters in their field. This way, the auction predominantly features the first prints of a series of graphics, the author’s samples or individual works with a small print run that have remained experimental. It was not always the case that a planned number of copies of each graphics panel was produced, which was not an objective in itself. What became important was the artistic challenge and what the authors felt it was important to portray through the possibilities of this technique. The actual number of works produced was very individual and depended on the circumstances. As a rule, no print run was ever printed in full, but on an as-needed basis, avoiding excessive and unnecessary costs. So there is also a lot of uniqueness in graphic art, which depended on the artist’s own decision, or which was encouraged by various historical reasons. Alongside graphics, the auction will also place a strong emphasis on drawing and mixed media, which offers a range of compositions with varied technical solutions.
Together, we are once again celebrating Estonian art, through one of its most distinctive and naturalistic techniques, which requires exemplary dedication and focus in order to achieve the best, most captivating, and engaging result of the image – the works that this auction selection represents in so many ways.
The auctions will take place on 6, 7, and 10 May. Please view the works on the website. The exhibitions will be open from 7 April. Pre-registration is required to participate in the auction. We will soon upload the registration form on the website, and you can download and send it back to us signed. Once you have registered, you can also immediately start making online bids for works or leave your automatic bids in the system. Auctions will close in real time, both on the online platform and at the auction in the gallery hall. If you have any questions, please contact us.
Have a wonderful auction experience!