In 1938, upon commission from the alumni of the Estonian Students’ Society (EÜS), Aleksander Vardi painted a large picture depicting historical events in the society: the so-called Kalevipoeg evenings, the consecration of the flag and enlisting into military service during the War of Independence. At the time, it was the largest Estonian canvas painting depicting historical scenes. The reveal took place on 9 October of the same year in the Society’s building in Tartu. The work was greatly damaged later, but has now been restored to the maximum possible extent.
At the time of creating the painting, Vardi was a teacher at the Pallas Art School. He evidently preserved his close ties with the Estonian Students’ Society even after the completion of the above-mentioned large painting: about half a year after its reveal Vardi painted the building of EÜS, too. The building has been depicted with documental precision. Hence, it can be assumed that this painting, too, was commissioned by members of EÜS. Vardi paid special attention to rendering the flag of EÜS – and of the Republic of Estonia – in its full blue-black-and-white splendour. The work is reminiscent of Vardi’s Paris views from the second half of the 1930s, especially as far as renditions of light, streets and park trees are concerned. In April 1939 Vardi participated in an exhibition of Estonian art in Hungary, and art critics noted that he had transposed Parisian impressions into Estonian milieus: elements such as an impressionistic brushwork, attention to light, muffled colours, and viewing city life almost in the same way as viewing a still-life, were characteristic of his large canvas paintings made in Paris, too.