Kumu Now Features Perhaps the Most Central 20th-Century Estonian Artist
Text Timo Raussi Photos Estonian Art Museum
The new exhibition at the Kumu Art Museum opens a window into the life of one of the most significant Estonian artists of the 20th century, Karin Luts. Born in 1904, Luts was a distinctive painter and graphic artist who studied painting in Tartu under Konrad Mägi and who, in the 1930s, courageously took on the role of the first female art critic. Alongside painting, Luts kept diaries and corresponded with fellow Estonian female artist Natalie Mein, reflecting on the difficult position of women in the art scene of a nation that had only recently gained independence.
The “Pictures From My Travels” exhibition focuses on watercolours and sketches Luts made during her many trips to Italy, Spain, France, and later in her new home in Sweden.
“Travel was a part of Karin’s life. She needed it to develop and maintain her creative vitality, but also to escape everyday worries. Luts did not consider the landscapes she created while travelling as true art, but rather as hand-made documentation, similar to photography. She captured very diverse views and put her most genuine emotions onto paper,” explains the exhibition curator, Mare Joonsalu.
Among the many pre-World War II works on display, two are considered treasures of Estonian art. The 1939 painting “Comédie Française” captures the atmosphere of a Parisian theatre hall, while another 1939 work, “Venetian Motif”, depicts a view along a Venetian canal. Luts was deeply in love with these cities.
Karin Luts spent half her life in exile in Sweden, where she passed away in 1993. Before her death, she expressed the wish that her artistic legacy would one day return to Estonia—a wish that was fulfilled. The Tartu Art Museum organised an exhibition in 2004 featuring 76 of her works, but Kumu now presents an impressive 160 pieces, many of them on public display for the first time.
The exhibition also features a newly completed film based on the artist’s diary entries. Through actress Inga Salurand, the film portrays Karin’s daily life, struggles, and journey to becoming a successful artist. The film was directed and filmed by Ants Tammik, who won an international documentary award in 2023 for his work on “Savusanna sõsarad”.
The exhibition “Karin Luts—Pictures From My Travels” is open on Kumu’s third floor until 6 September. More information and advance tickets are available here.
To learn more about this and similar topicsArt Art Exhibition events female artist Karin Luts Konrad Mägi Kumu Tallinn
