Baltic Journal of Art History

Foreword

2025-05-21T11:23:02+00:00

A Birch Bark Tar Figurine from the Pulli Settlement Site in Estonia

2025-05-21T11:26:57+00:00

The oldest art objects in the Eastern Baltic region date back to the
Mesolithic period, while portable figurines are only known from the
second half of the 7th millennium BC. These figurines, made of bone or
antler, are rare. Our article focuses on a unique zoomorphic birch bark
tar figurine discovered at the Pulli settlement site (8950–8300 BC). A
comprehensive analysis was conducted, complementing previously
published chemical analyses. The methods included microscopic
examination of surface treatment traces, direct radiocarbon dating,
3D scanning, photogrammetry, and computed tomography. The
results indicate that the figurine’s shape was deliberately formed
through intentional scraping or planing, particularly in the neck and
head areas. Preservatives used on the figurine penetrated through
deep cracks, influencing the outcomes of chemical and radiocarbon
analyses. This artefact, probably representing a seal, has no known
analogues among the hunter-fisher-gatherer art of the Mesolithic
period (9000–6000/2800 BC) in the European forest zone. It is probably
the oldest portable figurine from the Eastern Baltic region.

Evaluation of Medieval Estonian Murals with a Focus on Painting Technique: Novel Findings on Paint Layer Composition

2025-05-21T11:30:57+00:00

The current study gives an analytical overview of the medieval
(13th–15th century) wall-painting techniques and materials used in
Estonia. The research is mainly based on visual observations at
specific locations and on micro stratigraphic sample analysis using
optical and electron microscopy and energy dispersive spectroscopy
(EDS). Additionally, microchemical spot tests were carried out to
determine the presence of organic additives in paint layers. Samples
from eleven churches were examined (Ambla, Järva-Peetri, Koeru,
Türi, Martna, Ridala, Muhu, Valjala, Pöide, Kaarma, Lüganuse,
Haljala). Three paint layer samples, originating from Pöide, Koeru
and Ambla churches, were analysed by the gas chromatographymass
spectrometry (GC-MS) method to determine the type of
organic binder additives used in the paints. The article presents
the information gained from the first analytical and comparative
material study of the wall-paintings preserved in medieval Estonian
church architecture. Microscopic analysis of the stratigraphy of
plaster and paintings revealed the usual layered structure in the
examined paintings: typically, a preparatory limewash layer was
applied to the plaster before the mural painting, though in two cases, the painting was executed directly on the plaster. The findings
indicate that dolomitic lime of different quality is the main and
most common binder in both the underlying plasters and lime wash.
Aerial calcitic lime was used for the limewash in only two paintings.
Building on these insights, an experimental study was conducted to
replicate the original technique, aiming to practically test the wall
painting methods employed during the studied period. The focus
is on the interior paintings as well as two examples of the exterior
decoration. The study contributes to local and regional technical art
history and to conservation specialists’ better preservation decisions.

The Journey of a Renaissance Fireplace from Reval to St. Petersburg

2025-05-21T11:35:57+00:00

The article follows the travels of a richly carved limestone fireplace that was originally located in 71 Pikk St., Tallinn. It was commissioned by local merchant Jacob Höppener in 1653; in the middle of the 19th century it was sold and taken to Russia. Several Baltic German heritage enthusiasts produced descriptions of the artefact, but after the historical upheavals of the beginning of the 20th century lost sight of it. From the middle of the century, Estonian art historians
studying stone carvings and restoring the building made efforts to find the fireplace, but in vain.
The paper examines the archival, printed and web sources about the artefact and traces it to its new locations, first in St. Petersburg
and then in Tsarskoye Selo. The fireplace’s new owners, the princes Kochubey, used it to enhance the Historicist interiors of their
residences. During the Soviet period the artefact’s provenance was forgotten and it was inaccessible to the public. In recent years, the
fireplace has been reintroduced to a wider audience; a new origin story and a new interpretation of its iconography have been proposed and popularised by the Kochubey Centre.
The article brings together the sources and results from researchers in different countries who have studied this mobile artefact over one-and-a-half centuries.

The rediscovery of the Höppener-Kochubey fireplace is a solution to a longstanding mystery, and the artefact has
welcome similarities to Renaissance era stone carvings in Estonia. This case study also uncovers information about the sale of antiquities, the use of those antiquities in interior design, the interests and goals of collectors, and knowledge transfer through learned societies in 19th century Estonia, Latvia and Russia.

Latvian Artists and Flâneurism in Europe in the Early 20th Century: The Example of Gustavs Šķilters and Jāzeps Grosvalds

2025-05-21T11:41:38+00:00

The article focuses on two Latvian artists who can be associated in
different ways with the notion of flâneurism at the beginning of the
20th century – Gustavs Šķilters and Jāzeps Grosvalds. The two artists,
in parallel with the visual heritage they created, also left written
testimonies of their experiences while staying in various European
metropolises, among which Paris was of a special importance, as
both resided there for a considerable amount of time. It is important
to examine these artists’ first-hand experiences based on written
sources as well as visual art testimonies that allow us to track their
journeys and habits in large modern cities. Latvian culture and art
history have not so far examined the visual and written heritage left
by the two artists in the context of flâneurism, so it is particularly
important to look at their observations of the great cities of Europe.
The written and visual heritage left by both artists allows us to
associate them with the concept of flâneurism, as both were drawn
to long, leisurely walks through cities, observing the surrounding
modern life and the relationships between the individual and the city,
analysing and recording them, evaluating society and commenting
on social phenomena. The attitude of Gustavs Šķilters and Jāzeps
Grosvalds towards the modern city, the way of expression and the
vocabulary they used are different. In his texts Šķilters tends to
romanticise what is observed, conjuring up living scenes before the
reader’s eyes. He also seeks to distance himself from the image of the
flâneur; for him the flâneur is an interesting object of observation, a
characteristic, inseparable phenomenon of Paris. Jāzeps Grosvalds,
on the other hand, genuinely embodies the image of the flâneur,
despite his dandyism, which manifested itself most vividly in the
early years. In Grosvalds’ art, which gradually develops and leads
him to the title of the founder of Latvian modernism, becoming one
of its most significant representatives, there is much more frequent
use of the images of people in the urban environment, and he proves

his ability to perceive the essential in every situation he experiences.
Gustavs Šķilters and Jāzeps Grosvalds fit into the general pattern of
observers and describers of modern cities in the early 20th century
and can be analysed in the context of flâneurism, which is the main
goal of this article. Since this is the first study to deal with Latvian
artists from this perspective, its research should undoubtedly be
continued, including not only the two artists considered here, but
also other artists and their visual and literary legacies.

On the History of Lithuanian Fashion: Why There Were No Local Fashion Magazines in Nineteenth-Century Lithuania

2025-05-21T11:44:56+00:00

The concept of a fashion magazine, born in seventeenth-century
France, caught on quite quickly in other European countries. Many
European cultures either directly copied the French magazines or
produced their own versions. Lithuanian culture, however, produced
a fashion magazine neither in the early days of female-oriented
fashion periodicals, nor later. The purpose of the article is to review
the historical circumstances that prevented the occurrence of a
fashion magazine in nineteenth-century Lithuania and reflect on
the reasons why. The text explores the objective material and factors
around fashion information consumption in the Lithuania of the
nineteenth century, such as socio-political, linguistic issues, the
urban environment, and the context of the printed press. Surviving
examples of nineteenth-century fashion discourse in the periodicals
Tygodnik Wilenski and La Limande are introduced as the solitary cases
of fashion publication in the territory of nineteenth-century Lithuania.
The underdevelopment of consumerism, lack of urbanisation and
absence of explicit national self-identification are suggested as the
main reasons that there was no national fashion magazine.

Specific Features of Deconstruction In the Works of Japanese, Belgian And Ukrainian Clothing Designers: A Comparative Analysis

2025-06-11T09:45:17+00:00

This article aims to define the basic concepts of fashion deconstruction
and its artistic means of expression. Based on a comparative study
of clothing collections by Ukrainian, Belgian and Japanese fashion
designers, this study identifies the main features of deconstruction,
and ways to interpret these features across time and in cultural and
spatial terms. The visual investigation of clothing collections focused
on shape, principles of clothing construction, silhouette, use of material
and colour, and the technological processing of garments. Emphasis
is placed on conceptual and ideological aspects, the use of symbols
and references, and the relationship between the practical function
of clothing and modes of wearing. The article outlines common and
distinct features of deconstruction in the studied examples and
illustrates how the same principle can be interpreted differently. The
leading names in Ukrainian fashion deconstruction and its specific
manifestations in design are also analysed here. As a result of this
research, a practical framework for analysing clothing collections
from the perspective of deconstruction is proposed, grounded in its
theoretical principles.