On June 27, an outdoor exhibition titled “The Call of the Sea on Canvas – 90 Years of the Estonian Maritime Museum’s Art Collection” opened in Tammsaare Park. The exhibition showcases a unique selection from the museum’s art collection, bringing to life captivating stories of the sea and seafaring.
The Estonian Maritime Museum’s art collection encompasses more than 200 years of maritime history — capturing moments, ships, and people. “The distinctly eclectic collection now comprises of 914 artworks acquired by the museum between 1935 and 2025. It includes oil paintings, watercolors, graphic prints, drawings, bookplates, and sculptures,” says exhibition curator Laura Jamsja.
The oldest works date back to the early 19th century. “Over the museum’s 90-year history, many clues and backstories have faded, but fortunately , this fragile art collection has escaped major losses or destruction,” adds the curator.
Each exhibited piece tells its own story. For instance, in an 1873 oil painting by Swedish captain Olof Olsson, a sailing ship named Georg is shown frozen in the ice near Pärnu. Under Olsson’s command, the same ship also crossed the Atlantic. Its figurehead — Saint George in glittering armor — was said to be modeled after the shipowner, Jüri Veide.
Meanwhile, a 1932 oil painting by Waterways Authority official Balduin Rautsma portrays the lightship Nekmangrund, named after the German term for the Hiiu Shoal. Lightships served as guardians near dangerous underwater shallows. The Hiiu Shoal warning vessel stood out with its bright red hull, red-and-white striped sails, and a mast adorned with the rescue society’s crest — a red cross flanked by two blue anchors.
British artist Reuben Chappell’s undated work depicts the four-masted barquentine Tormilind. Chappell began sketching ships at his local harbor as a young schoolboy and later became an internationally recognized master of commissioned maritime art, producing around 300 paintings per year.
The outdoor exhibition is part of the Estonian Maritime Museum’s 90th anniversary celebrations and serves as a teaser for an overview exhibition of the art collection, which will open at the Seaplane Harbour in February 2026. The current exhibition will remain open in Tammsaare Park until July 24th.
