Ants Laikmaa
Ants Laikmaa (born May 5, 1866 on the Paiba farm, Araste village, Vigala ; † November 19, 1942 on the Kadarpiku farm near Taebla ) was an Estonian painter.
Life
Ants Laikmaa (until 1935 Hans Laipman) was born as the 13th child of a poor Estonian family. He attended schools in Vigala , Haapsalu and Lihula . His mother died when he was a child. Laikmaa discovered his passion for painting early on. He set off on foot from Riga to Düsseldorf. There he studied from 1891 to 1893 and 1896/97 at the Düsseldorf Art Academy . From 1897 to 1899 he worked in Düsseldorf . In the autumn of 1899 he returned to Tallinn .
From 1900 to 1907 Ants Laikmaa worked as an artist in Tallinn and Haapsalu . Study trips took him to Belgium , France , Austria , Finland and the Netherlands . In 1901 he organized the first ever Estonian art exhibition in Tallinn, followed by the first all-Estonian art exhibition in Tartu in 1906 . In 1903 he founded a studio school in Tallinn. In 1907 he launched the Estonian Art Association ( Eesti Kunstiselts ).
In 1904, 38-year-old Laikmaa met the love of his life, 21-year-old Marie Hacker. She later became one of the most famous poets of the time under the name Marie Under and was artistically promoted by the amorous Laikmaa. In the same year he painted two portraits of her, which are among Laikmaa's most famous.
From 1907 to 1909 he was mainly active in Finland. From 1909 to 1913 he toured the great art cities of Europe. From 1910 to 1912 he lived in Capri and Tunisia, among others . From 1913 to 1931 Ants Laikmaa worked as a freelance artist and art teacher in Tallinn. In 1927 his only daughter Aino Marie (later Anu Kilpiö, † 1969) was born, a child of his model "Miku". In 1932 Laikmaa moved near Taebla in the Lääne County to the Kadarpiku farm he designed with a 7 hectare park, where he lived and worked until the end of his life.
Ants Laikmaa died in Kadarpiku in November 1942. He is buried there too. Laikmaa remained unmarried throughout her life. His farm in the country has been a museum dedicated to his life and work since 1960.
painter
Ants Laikmaa is best known for his watercolor painting . He brought Impressionism to Estonia, but also dedicated himself to realism . Laikmaa often painted natural landscapes, mostly with strong colors. His portraits of Estonia's intellectual and artistic elite are described as masterful. He was also politically active. Above all, he promoted the education and promotion of Estonian art. Among other things, he was one of the co-founders of the Estonian National Museum ( Eesti Rahva Muuseum ) in Tartu.
Most famous works
- Self-Portrait (1902)
- Lääne neiu (1903)
- Portrait of Marie Under (1904)
- Vigala taat (1904)
- Portrait of August Kitzberg (1915)
Web links
- Ants Laikmaa Museum in Taebla
- Detailed biography (Estonian)
- CV (Estonian)
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Laikmaa, Ants |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Laipman, Hans |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | Estonian painter |
| DATE OF BIRTH | May 5, 1866 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Paiba farm, Araste village, Vigala municipality |
| DATE OF DEATH | November 19, 1942 |
| Place of death | Kadarpiku farm near Taebla |