Köler 200

This year marks the 200th anniversary of the birth of the first ethnically Estonian professional artist, Johann Köler. Hailing from a poor farmstead in Viljandi County, the young man, against all odds, found his way to St Petersburg, where he worked his way up to become one of the Russian Empire’s leading artists. However, Köler never forgot his homeland: he made use of his connections to alleviate the circumstances of Estonians living under the yoke of land owners. Köler became a leading advocate of the Estonian National Awakening, participating in many of its key initiatives, including the Alexander School, the Society of Estonian Literati, National Song Festivals and the Patriots of Estonia in St Petersburg.

Though renowned and extensively studied as an artist, surprisingly little remains known about Köler’s life. How did a boy brought up in the midst of forests arrive at the idea of becoming a painter at a time when such a notion barely existed? Having left home at just nine years of age, how many years did he attend a German school without speaking a word of the language, and how many languages could he speak by the end of his life? Why was it Köler who was chosen by the Russian tsar to serve as an art teacher to his daughters? Did he have a wife and children? How much did Köler charge emperors, generals and ministers for their portraits, and what did they talk about during their painting sessions? Why did he choose a vicious overseer from Hiiumaa as his model for the Jesus in St Charles Church in Tallinn? How did his purchase of a manor in Crimea bankrupt him and create a rift between himself and other nationalists? And why are so many of his works still missing to this day?

This milestone anniversary year will let you discover Köler’s life, work and impact on the artists of today in a joint exhibition entitled Köler 200: The Original, the Copy and the Interpretation by art institutions from Viljandi.

• Viljandi Museum will be exploring the dramatic turns in Köler’s life and exhibiting a great variety of reproductions of his works. Open 8 March-1 November 2026.

• The Kondas Centre will be displaying the artist’s original artworks, in various techniques and stages of completion, and seldom seen before. Open 8 March-14 June 2026.

• At the Rüki Gallery, modern interpretations of Köler will be presented by artists Tõnis Saadoja, Marge Monko, Jass Kaselaan, Johanna Ulfsak and Mihkel Ilus. Open 8 March-10 May 2026.

The exhibition at Viljandi Museum is being arranged so that it can later become a travelling exhibition. In this way, the memory of the founder of Estonian national painting will hopefully reach many more cultural centres and schools around Estonia.

Exhibition curators: Kristjan Mändmaa (Viljandi Museum exhibition) & Mari Vallikivi (Kondas Centre exhibition)

Many thanks to our partners and supporters: Art Museum of Estonia, Tartu Art Museum, Viinistu Art Museum, Cultural Endowment of Estonia, City of Viljandi, Põhja-Sakala municipality, the Farm Museum of Carl Robert Jakobson, Estonian History Museum et al.

The exhibition will be accompanied by a major additional program, with more information available online at www.koler200.ee (from March 2026).