Lilian H\u00e4rm was born on 18 September 1927, in Tallinn. Her father, Albert Vahtram\u00e4e, was a\ndesigner and decorator at the Estonia Theatre. Lilian H\u00e4rm graduated from the Tallinn State\nInstitute of Applied Arts in 1950, with a degree in theatre design, and worked for a few years\nat the Tallinn Drama Theatre. Both Lilian and her husband, Endel H\u00e4rm, were active in\ncommercial graphics starting in the first half of the 1950s. Artists were commissioned to\ncreate designs and artwork for sweets boxes, as well as smaller signs, advertisements, and\nposters for holidays and fairs. Lilian H\u00e4rma\u2019s magnificent illustrations of children\u2019s books (J.\nOro\u2019s The Egg, C. Perrault\u2019s Fairy Tales, Hungarian Fairy Tales, etc.), which have been\nadmired by generations of children, can be considered her life\u2019s work.<\/p>\n
Lilian sattus esimest korda Viljandisse s\u00f5ja ajal ning armus sellesse v\u00e4ikelinna, kuid alaliselt asus koos abikaasa Endel H\u00e4rmaga siia elama 1974. aastal. Kunstnikku k\u00f6idab Viljandi v\u00e4iksus ja rahulikkus ning intiimne suletud maastik. Koos abikaasaga v\u00f5eti ette s\u00fcstareise ja pikki jalgsimatku m\u00f6\u00f6da Eestimaad.<\/p>\n
Lilian first came to Viljandi during the war and fell in love with the small town, but settled\nhere permanently in 1974 together with her husband, Endel H\u00e4rm. The artist is attracted by\nthe small size and tranquillity of Viljandi and its intimate, closed landscape. Together with her\nhusband, she undertook kayaking trips and long walks all over Estonia.\nAs a commercial artist and children\u2019s book illustrator, the artist has a love for vibrant colours.\nMany of her paintings are dominated by vigour and intense greens, reds, blues, and yellows.\nA large part of the artist\u2019s work consists of Viljandi\u2019s townscapes with their inner courtyards,\nparks, and street corners. Lilian H\u00e4rm has also painted Lake Viljandi and the castle ruins.\nBoth themes and techniques have changed over the years. The artist herself explains that\npainting the same way all the time is boring. At the age of 91, Lilian H\u00e4rm published her first\ncollection of poetry with her minimalist illustrations (Vallikivi, 2020).<\/p>\n
Three paintings\nThe view of the Old Town is a cosy and genuine Viljandi motif, created in the mid-1990s in a\npastel technique. The view is from Oru Street towards Tartu Street, the painting features a\nmoat and a backyard with sheds and a garden.<\/p>\n
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