A portrait of Estonian writer and researcher Friedrich Robert Faehlmann (1798 – 1850) was recently discovered at an auction in the United States. The painting was listed simply as 'an unknown man with blue eyes' with few realising its cultural significance. Art historian Kristiina Tiideberg recognised Faehlmann as an important Estonian historical figure and managed to secure the painting for $2000. The painting is now on display at the Niguliste Museum.
The portrait is a very important work for Estonian cultural history. Faehlmann was one of the founders of the Learned Estonian Society and a protagonist of the National Awakening. He studied medicine and earned his living as a doctor until the end of his life. Faehlmann is a very important figure in Estonian cultural history. In the second half of his life he became one of the most important local estophiles to contribute to the appreciation of Estonian national culture through his academic research and the creation of his original fiction. The Estonian national epic Kalevipoeg written later by F.R. Kreutzwald was largely based on Faehlmann’s preliminary work and drafts.
This painting is one of the earliest portraits of Faehlmann and the only known oil painting of him in existence. The first mention of this painting appeared in the Estonian press in 1935. Faehlmann was one of the first educated Estonians to be portrayed in a dignified way through the medium of oil painting.
