Bibliophile Peeter Tulviste - Märt Laarman (1896–1979)

Märt Laarman is one of the founders of the Estonian bibliophilic, artistically designed book tradition. He studied at Rakvere Teachers’ Seminary and the University of Tartu and worked as a teacher of Estonian language and literature. He started his career as an artist in the 1920s, mainly as a painter, later a graphic artist and book illustrator. Except for a brief period of study at Ants Laikmaa’s studio, Laarman was largely self-taught as an artist. A comprehensive overview of his contribution to Estonian book design can be found in a book by Rein Loodus, Märt Laarman raamatukunstnikuna (1977).

The first designs and illustrations he completed in the 1920s were Cubist in style – an excellent example of such works is the collection of poems by Ormi Arp, Gloobus (1927). The grotesque font was an important feature in the cover design, for example, on the cover of Riho Päts’ songbook Kolm rahvalaulu segakoorile. A capella (1928).

The 1930s saw Laarman become dedicated to small-edition bibliophilic books. Marie Under’s Käik tuultesse (130 copies) and Johann Philipp von Roth’s Talvõlaul (100 copies), both published in 1938, were the first block books in Estonia. In a block book, each page is printed from a separate woodcut block. Hanno Kompus described the book by Under as follows: “It is printed on exquisitely beautiful, blossom-white, silk-shimmer Japanese paper and bound within covers made of silver-grey Japanese bark paper.” The copy in Peeter Tulviste’s collection, signed by Märt Laarman, is numbered 2. The number of the Talvõlaul copy is 56.

A distinctive item is the small book from 1938, Arkadio Laigo (75 copies), which features a colour wood engraving signed by the artist Laigo on the front page.

Märt Laarman’s poetry book Kylmad ruba’iid was published in 50 copies in 1939. Its new edition, including Finnish translations of the poems and woodcuts by Laarman, was released in 1996.

In 1939, Hjalmar Gullberg’s Kolm laulu, translated by Laarman, was published in 35 copies. Tulviste’s copy bears the number 35.

The first of Laarman’s numerous bookplate albums dates from 1943, with a print run of 100 copies. The signed album in Tulviste’s collection is number 38.

Designs and illustrations for the writings of Friedebert Tuglas hold a special place in Märt Laarman’s work. On display is his album Illustratsioone Friedebert Tuglase teostele (1975).

“With his bibliophilic books, M. Laarman demonstrated the level of integrity and perfection a talented artist can achieve when given the opportunity to design a book from cover to cover – or rather, to create the book as a work of art,” art historian Rein Loodus said.

Find out more about the exhibition here.