Pirita Abbey

Paul Burman (28.02.1888-03.06.1934)

Paul Burman was only 40 years old in 1928 yet he had been extraordinarily productive in terms of his creative work. Burman’s talent was also sufficiently appreciated by critics and among artists. Burman had studied at many different establishments (in St. Petersburg, Moscow, Riga), and he also travelled a great deal (Paris, the Crimea, Germany) and participated in numerous exhibitions. From 1918 until his death, however, he received continuous treatment at a mental hospital. Burman continued to paint there, whereas for the most part, his themes, subjects, style as well as his attitude remained unchanged: animals, landscapes, nature as such.
"Burman left home with his painter’s case and plywood boards or pasteboards and when he had found a suitable place to sit, either on a rock or a stump, he got down to work," wrote a researcher of Burman’s creative work. He worked very quickly and intensely, and as a rule, he did not finish his works in the studio. For instance, recollections indicate that a quarter of an hour to an hour was enough for Burman to complete a painting.