Hermann Talvik was born in Estonia and came to Sweden as a refugee in 1944. He studiedfine art at the Ateneum in Helsinki and in Paris, developing great skill both in painting and invarious printmaking techniques. His whole life revolved around art – a life that he lived in thespirit, distant from the clamour of society, and in symbiosis with nature. It has been written about Talvik that he is the landscape painter’s poet, an artist who, with his spiritual sensitivity, can hear the heart of a flower beating. His visionary prints have been described as modern icons. In its combination of highly personal artistic expression and virtuoso technique, Talvik’s art remains timeless.The biography was written by his daughter Liina Talvik, who has previously published a number of books for children and young people. Through the author’s intimate relationship with her father, and the large number of letters he wrote home from his travels, the reader gains an insight into Talvik’s innermost thoughts and reflections on life and art. This is a unique opportunity to discover Hermann Talvik – both as a man and an artist.
