Red Sofa

This painting is an interesting vignette from the 1970s. Comparing the enormous paintings by Olev Subbi of that period to this one, it is quite clear that here in this small format, Subbi charmingly tried out certain details. He has approached the motif freely and with lightness in a way that resembles a study. He has not framed himself with compositional density, but rather primarily experimented with the airiness of brushing style. The cherished old-fashioned sofa at the heart of the picture is the only event of this painting, both at the narrative level and when looking at the colouring – the sofa’s red forms a striking counterpoint to the entire work. This painting with an enigmatic, even somewhat surrealistic undertone is a rare chance to see the heyday of Olev Subbi’s oeuvre through the keyhole created by this little experiment: as always, the artist’s freedom is as a rule greater in sketches and studies than in finished works and for this reason, here we perceive Subbi’s very first impulses that are not yet too cultivated. Yet Subbi would not be Subbi if he did not aspire towards completeness and elaborateness even in painting little details.