Nikolai Kull (1894–1945)

Nikolai Kull was born in 1894 in a sailor’s family, and that dictated a lot in his life: he went to Kronstadt to become a deck boy and later sailed the oceans. But even as a child, Kull liked to draw, and he learned his first techniques from magazines. However, working as a sailor prevented him from devoting himself to art. Only after he settled down in Tallinn and started working on the construction of the fort there, Kull managed to study art in depth in 1917. But then another interruption occurred: Kull went into military service on a battleship. After that he began studying art under Ants Laikmaa, who mainly taught him the nuances of pastel painting. Kull travelled abroad, too, and acquainted himself with art history. He then enrolled in the Higher Art School Pallas, where he studied for a couple of years under Nikolai Triik.

Kull is mainly known for his views of Tallinn Old Town, but he also painted landscapes, portraits and still-lifes.