The research programme focuses on the development and composition of the Art Museum of Estonia’s collections since the museum’s establishment in 1919. The aim is to obtain new information on the history of the artworks from the time of their creation until they reached the museum’s collection.
An important part of the project is in-depth research in the archives of the Art Museum of Estonia and other museums, the National Archives of Estonia and elsewhere. By combining the information found in archival records – inventories and acquisition books – with inscriptions on artworks, we can reconstruct the provenance of the works, specify authors and dates, and bring new knowledge into art history.
The first phase of the research programme focuses on the period 1919–1944. The interim results were published in the book “Käpikust Kölerini. Eesti Kunstimuuseumi kogud 1919‒1944” (From Mittens to Köler: Collections of the Art Museum of Estonia in 1919–1944) by Ulrika Jõemägi, Kersti Kuldna-Türkson and Kristiina Tiideberg.
Research and exhibition projects:
Exhibition at Kadrioru Art Museum „Käpikust Kölerini“ (21.09.2024–30.03.2025)
Project team
Participating researchers: Ulrika Jõemägi, Kersti Kuldna-Türkson and Kristiina Tiideberg.
