Eduard Timbermann was born on 31 October 1905, in Tallinn. He received his general education at\nthe Westholm Private Gymnasium, in Tallinn, and later, at the age of 13, when he moved to\nViljandi, he attended the Viljandi Secondary School of Science, but did not graduate. In 1923,\nTimbermann participated in drawing and painting courses at the initiative of the Viljandi School\nPupils Union\u2019s art department, where he was taught by V. Ormisson, A. Murakin, and J. Hist.\nTimbermann\u2019s interest in art was great and his desire to study in the Pallas Art School was growing,\n\neven though the young artist knew that it would not be easy (Vallikivi, 2020; newspaper Edasi,\n1970). From 1923, Timbermann was enrolled in the Pallas Art School, but he found it difficult to\ncomplete his studies. The artist worked part-time to pay his tuition fees. During the summers and in\nhis spare time, he practiced watercolour techniques, which were hardly taught in the Pallas Art\nSchool.<\/p>\n
Eduard Timbermann\u2019s work was first praised in 1926 and two years later he was mentioned as one\nof Vabbe's \u2018best students\u2019. The artist was described as a modest man who did not show off without\nreason, often working 6\u20137 hours a day, with a refined taste and a unique style. Due to his constant\nmoney problems, Timbermann even contemplated leaving the school, but in 1930 he received a\ndiploma from the Pallas Art School as a student of Ado Vabbe. As a member of the art association\nPallas, Timbermann participated in exhibitions organised by the association and was considered the\nbest watercolourist of the time. In 1930, he returned to Viljandi, assuming responsibility for the\norganisation and management of the town\u2019s art scene. He dreamed of establishing an art museum in\nViljandi, whose population had already grown to 13,000. The local art scene began to take off and\nmore and more exhibitions of works by local artists were organised in addition to exhibitions of\nworks from outside. Timbermann also worked as an art critic in Viljandi. In July 1935, while hiking\nwith Gustav Moots, Timbermann\u2019s tuberculosis, which he had contracted during his school years,\nworsened and he died a few days later, on 11 July, in Viljandi hospital. After that, the art scene in\nViljandi came to a standstill because there was no longer an energetic leader and organiser. Eduard\nTimbermann was a true patriot of the small town, who believed that even in tiny Viljandi there are\ncreative talents and artistic traditions that must be preserved for generations to come.<\/p>\n
Based on his surviving works, it can be concluded that Timbermann\u2019s work is characterised by\ndeliberately simplified motifs and bold colour combinations. The artist\u2019s life has been described by\nhis fellow student and friend Lydia Nirk-Soosaar: \u2018The room where Eduard Timbermann worked\nwas dark, it felt gloomy and cold. The interior of the room was simple, filled with many unfinished\nworks.\u2019 Nirk-Soosaar describes the artist\u2019s watercolours as clean, transparent and unique.\nTimbermann painted copses or shrubs, he was not particularly picky about motifs. His paintings of\nlakes or water were particularly good \u2013they were airy, simple and majestic (Vallikivi, 2020; Edasi,\n1970; Postimees, 14 July 1935; Sirp ja Vasar, 13 Nov. 1970, Heini Paas).<\/p>\n
Viljandi Lake, Viljandi motif pp 67 and 69.<\/p>\n