Artists’ union auctions 160 works to cover €680,000 fraud loss

The Estonian Artists’ Union will auction more than 160 artworks in October to help cover losses from a €680,000 fraud case, ERR reported. The sale includes works from the union’s collection and pieces donated by its members.

The auction will feature graphic art, jewellery, sculptures and photographs, as well as what art historian Eero Epner described as genuine highlights of Estonian painting.

Epner said it was difficult to predict the prices works would fetch because auction results in Estonia can depend heavily on chance. A collector could fall ill, be in a bad mood or travel to Jūrmala and miss the auction, he said.

“A lot depends on chance in Estonia, but I think this auction could be rather successful,” Epner told the television programme “Pealtnägija”.

He based his prediction on the high quality and uniqueness of the works. “You do not see many works like these on the market. And thirdly, as far as I saw the starting prices, some of them are still shamelessly low,” Epner said.

Artists’ Union President Maarin Ektermann said the auction also included museum-quality works that could attract major collectors. She described the collection as possibly representing the best of Estonian art from the 1970s and 1980s.

The union was forced to organise the sale after its accountant was deceived and €680,000 was transferred out of the organisation within a week. The sum amounts to nearly one-third of its annual budget, while the accountant also lost her personal savings.

At the ARS art centre, where staff were preparing the auction exhibition, Epner showed “Pealtnägija” works he expected to generate the most interest and discussion.

One of them is Jüri Arrak’s painting “Discussion on Nature Conservation”. Epner said the painting’s distinctive figures, clear colours and recognisable visual language made it a work that every Estonian might recognise. He added that the figures looked somewhat like the State Audit Office discussing the Defence Forces’ accounting.

Another important work is Olev Subbi’s painting “Midday”. Epner called it possibly one of Estonia’s best-known artworks because it hung in a building where the television series “Kättemaksukontor” was filmed. He said this connection could also appeal to the TikTok generation.

According to Epner, Subbi spent his career searching for beauty and harmony, possibly because of his tragic youth. His father was arrested during the war, his brother was killed and his sister fled to Canada. The landscapes of his childhood were destroyed, and Subbi himself spent eight years in Siberia.

Epner said Subbi appeared to have devoted his life to finding the lost paradise again, if not in life then at least in art. He predicted strong demand for the painting because Subbi has many admirers. Nearly 60,000 people visited his exhibition at the Estonian National Museum, while works from his peak period rarely come onto the market.