Karl Burman Junior: A Legacy of Art and Architecture

Karl Burman Junior (1914 – 2001) was a prominent figure in the world of art, hailing from a distinguished lineage of artists. His father, Karl Burman, was one of the most esteemed architects in Estonia, as well as a watercolorist. His uncle, Paul Burman, was a renowned impressionist landscape painter, highly appreciated for his depictions of animals and still lifes. Karl Burman Junior studied architecture in the second half of the 1930s at the Technical Department of the University of Tartu and the Tallinn Technical Institute. He received additional art instruction from his father, Karl Burman Senior, and his uncle, Paul Burman, later furthering his studies at the Moscow Art Institute. Karl Burman Junior is recognized in art history as one of the most striking watercolorists, with a deep understanding of the technical specifics of the medium. His architectural studies undoubtedly benefited him, as the precision required in architecture was reflected in the detailed and nuanced motifs of his paintings, in which he depicted cities and specific landscapes. However, his works never became dryly realistic; on the contrary, they were characteristically emotional for watercolor technique, requiring swift and skillful brush movements on paper.