Erik Schmidt (painter)

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Erik Schmidt's self-portrait in 1976 when he was in his early 50s

Erik Schmidt (15 August 1925 on the island of Naissaar, Estonia – 18 April 2014) was a painter and writer.[1]

Schmidt's father, August Schmidt, a master mariner, was captain of SS Merisaar, a merchant ship owned by

Arbeitsdienst. At the end of October 1943 the danger from a new Soviet occupation became possible and Erik Schmidt and his parents decided to leave everything and flee to Sweden where they got a warm welcome from the ship-owning Brodin family. After World War II Schmidt signed on as an apprentice on the maiden voyage on a Brodin Line
cargo- and passenger-liner, said to be the fastest in the world. After a year he had to leave the ship in the next Swedish port in order to fulfil his military service.

During one of these visits to New York City he met the Armenian painter

École nationale supérieure des Beaux-Arts from 1950 to 1953. After a stay in Johannesburg, South Africa in 1957, he established himself in Palma de Mallorca
, where he lived and worked for the rest of his life.

Erik Schmidt described his philosophy of seeing and painting:

You must keep in mind, that there is beauty all around us, and that it is the painter who has to discover it and be able to reproduce what he sees, in order to bring enjoyment to everybody else.

Awards

  • Society of Culture of Estonian Swedes (Samfundet för Estlandssvensk Kultur) twice
    points to the cited document
    . (March 2020)

Individual expositions

  • Salon de Printemps, Paris 1951.
  • Stuttaford Galleries, Johannesburg 1954.
  • Ekströms Konstgalleri, Stockholm 1955.
  • Ateneo de Santander, Santander 1956.
  • Eesti Majandusühisus Produkt, Stockholm 1957.
  • Galeria Rembrandt, Palma de Mallorca 1980.
  • Eesti Maja, Stockholm 1988.
  • Eesti Maja, Stockholm 1989.
  • Claustre de Sant Antoniet, Palma de Mallorca 2009.

Works

Erik Schmidt has published many articles. Most are in Swedish but he has also written books in Estonian, English and Spanish.

  • Tormised teekonnad. Perona, Pärnu 1993.
  • Optical Illusions: The Life Story of Bernhard Schmidt, the Great Stellar Optician of the Twentieth Century. Teaduste Akadeemia Kirjastus, 1995, .
  • Naissaare põlised perekonnad (Hrsg.). Teaduste Akadeemia Kirjastus, 1995, .
  • Pagana eestlane. Eesti Raamat, 1996, .
  • Tuultest tõugatud. Eesti Raamat, 1999, .
  • Rännakud enne koitu. Virgela, 2001, .
  • Minu onu Bernhard Schmidt. Ilmamaa, 2002, .
  • Jumalaga, Naissaar!. Olion, .
  • Päevapilte Hispaaniast. Eesti Raamat, 2004, .
  • Bernhard Schmidt 1879–1935. 2004.

References

  1. ^ "Konstnären Erik Schmidt har avlidit" (in Swedish). Eestirootsi Kultuuri Sihtasutus. 24 April 2014. Archived from the original on 16 August 2017. Retrieved 6 May 2014.
  2. ^ "SOV E". www.estlandssvenskarna.org. Archived from the original on 19 January 2012.
  • Sanden, Einar, The Painter From Naissaar, Boreas Publishing House, Cardiff, 1985, .