Lot 289: Aukusti Uotila , Finnish 1858-1886 Kalaverkkojen puhdistus auringonlaskussa (Preparing the Nets, Sunset) oil on canvas

signed and dated A. Uotila. 1883 lower right oil on canvas

89 by 113cm., 35 by 44½in.

Acquired by the family of the present owner in Finland circa 1930

PROPERTY FROM A PRIVATE EUROPEAN COLLECTION
Painted in 1883, the present work exemplifies Uotila's love of the sea and its fishing communities, subjects he first explored during the summer he spent in the artist's colony of Douarnez, a small fishing port in Brittany, in 1881.

Uotila went on to develop his own form of expressive Realism and apply it to dramatic effect to capture the wild coasts of his native Finland. His career was cut short, however, by his early death at 28, making the present work a valuable component of a small oeuvre.