Tallinn museum celebrates its 105th anniversary with special exhibition
Text Susanna Poikela
Photos Art Museum of Estonia, Estonian National Museum,
Latvian National Museum of Art
Herman Halliste with objects collected from Noarootsi, Vormsi and Osmussaare in 1920. Unknown photographer. Art Museum of Estonia
On September 21, the Kadriorg Art Museum unveiled its exhibition “From Mittens to Köler: The Birth of the Museum’s Collection”, marking the 105th anniversary of the museum. The exhibition explores the history and evolution of the museum’s collection from its founding in 1919 up to the Second World War. Curated by Ulrika Jõemägi, Kersti Kuldna-Türkson, and Kristiina Tiideberg, it offers a unique perspective on how the museum’s collection was built.
“Typically, art exhibitions focus on the artworks and the artists. However, From Mittens to Köler shifts the emphasis to the journey these pieces took to become part of the museum’s collection. Visitors can trace the museum’s transformation from a general museum with a wide range of objects to a dedicated art institution that now collects pieces spanning from the Middle Ages to the present,” says Kersti Kuldna-Türkson, one of the exhibition’s curators.
In its early years, the museum’s collection was diverse, encompassing not only works of art but also traditional crafts, cultural items, and agricultural artefacts. Many of these items have since been transferred to other institutions, with nearly 10,000 objects now held by the Estonian National Museum. Some of these artefacts are temporarily back in Kadriorg Palace for the exhibition.
Before the outbreak of the Second World War, most acquisitions were funded by the Ministry of Education, the Estonian Cultural Foundation, or the Estonian Museum Association, though many pieces also came as donations. One notable example is Amandus Adamson’s sculpture Noorus kaob (Youth Disappears), purchased through public fundraising and now on display in the exhibition.
In the museum’s early years, acquisitions included works by established artists such as Johann Köler and Konrad Mägi. There was also a strong focus on contemporary art, often purchased from local exhibitions. As a result, the museum houses early works by artists who later became key figures in Estonian art history, including Eduard Wiiralt, Elmar Kits, Aleksander Vard, and Karin Luts.
The exhibition will remain on display at the Kadriorg Art Museum untilMarch 2, 2025.
Unknown Master. Girl’s dress from Vormsi island. Ca. 1890. Wool and linen. Acquired by Herman Halliste from M. Ahlros in Hullo village, 1920. Estonian National MuseumM. Hamberg. Beer tankard from Noarootsi parish. 1878. Wood. Acquired by Herman Halliste from M. Hamberg in Rooslepa village, 1920. Estonian National MuseumUnknown Master Mittens from Muhu island. Wool. Acquired from Kadri Läheb in Oina village by Johannes Jans, 1920. Estonian National MuseumJohann Köler. Self-portrait. 1859. Oil. Purchased from Georg Köler, 1923. Art Museum of EstoniaConstance von Wetter-Rosenthal. Towards the Goal. 1925. Bronze. Purchased from the artist, 1925. Art Museum of EstoniaRomans Suta. Divʼ dūjiņas [Two Doves] plate. Latvian Folk Song. 1926. Porcelain, overglaze painting and gilding. Purchased from the artist, 1928. Latvian National Museum of ArtAugust Pulst. A Corner with Ethnographic Objects. 1915–1916? Watercolour. Donated by the artist. Art Museum of EstoniaUnknown Dutch Master. Ship’s ornament with a motif of the town of Bolsward 19th century. Wood. Acquired by Herman Halliste from the congregation’s reader Johannes Stavas from Osmussaare island, 1920. Art Museum of EstoniaAlfred Kivi. Oak tree. 1923. Oil. Art Museum of Estonia. Purchased from the artist’s heirs by the Estonian Cultural Endowment, 1935Tallinn Estonian Museum’s ethnography exhibition in Kadriorg Palace in the 1920s. Photographer unknown. Estonian Art Museum
Herman Halliste with objects collected from Noarootsi, Vormsi and Osmussaare in 1920. Unknown photographer. Art Museum of Estonia
