Villem Ormisson

Villem Ormisson (born Wilhelm Aleksander Ormisson; July 28, 1892 – April 5, 1941) was an Estonian painter and art teacher.

Early life and education Villem Ormisson was born in Pärsti in Viljandi County, at that time part of the Governorate of Livonia in the Russian Empire, the son of Andres Ormisson (1856–1918) and Anna Ormisson (née Piir, 1863–1945). Ormisson studied at Heine High School in Viljandi and Hugo Treffner High School in Tartu,

In 1920, Ormisson joined the Pallas art association, The Soviet authorities quickly realized his "dangerousness": exhibitions by the artist, who had already died by then, were among the first to be banned at the Tartu Art Museum in 1948. The peak achievement of Ormisson's late work is the 3 × 5 meter panel Pühajärv (Holy Lake) in the Vanemuine theater, completed in 1939.

1914: Lilled aknal (Flowers on a Window) 1915: Kirju vaip, Mustlane (Colorful Carpet, Gypsy) 1919: Maastik majadega (Landscape with Houses) 1920: Natüürmort ümmargusel laual (Still Life on a Round Table) 1924–1926: Mehe portree, Karl Ormisson (Portrait of a Man, Karl Ormisson) 1927: Linnavaade (City View) 1927: Õunad vaibal (Apples on a Carpet) 1929: Elva maastik (Elva Landscape) 1929: Talvine Tartu maastik (Tartu Winter Landscape) 1930: Tartu maastik (Tartu Landscape) 1934: Varemed (Ruins) 1937: Jõemaastik (River Landscape) 1937: Tartu vaade (View of Tartu) 1938: Kevadine Taevaskoda (Heavenly House of Spring) 1938–1939: Maastik (Landscape) 1939: Pühajärv (Holy Lake, panel)

Exhibitions 1914: First appearance in Estonia at the Fourth Estonian Art Exhibition organized by Young Estonia at the Vanemuine theater, Tartu 1964: Exhibition at the Tartu National Art Museum 1992: Villem Ormisson's 100th birthday representative exhibition at the Viljandi Art Hall 1992: Villem Ormisson's 100th birthday exhibition at the Tartu Art Museum 2002: To celebrate the 110th anniversary of Villem Ormisson's birth, two smaller exhibitions—one at the and the other at the in Viljandi—and the largest exhibition so far at the

Legacy The year 2002 was declared Ormisson Year in Viljandi, which was celebrated with various events: planting a linden at the artist's birthplace at the former Rehtla farm in the village of Oksa; two smaller exhibitions (one at the Viljandi Museum and the other at Viljandi's ) and one large exhibition of Ormisson's work at the Ugala theater building; and an art conference at the Ugala theater building. A street in the Ihaste district of Tartu is named in honor of Villem Ormisson. In 2018, the Park Hotel was opened in Viljandi, and its Ormisson Cafe was named to commemorate the artist.