Ruhnu Landscape with a Harrower

Eerik Haamer was born in Saaremaa, and discovered Ruhnu Island for himself in the 1930’s. Ruhnu’s natural settings, and even more so the cohabitation of the islanders with nature inspired him in creating several very important paintings. Haamer always sought generalisation from Ruhnu Island. He was not interested in precise ethnographic detail but rather in seeking and depicting the basic elements of humanity. In this painting as well, it was not so much the topographic location that was important but rather the topic of the painting and the artist’s generalising style. We see opulent nature, which is somewhat unusual in Haamer’s body of creative work, and man’s contact with that nature. Characteristically of Haamer, he examines the relationship between man and nature through work.