Aino Bach


Aino Bach was an Estonian artist known for her engravings and her portrayals of Soviet-era femininity.

Biography

Aino Bach was born in Koeru, Estonia in 1901. As a child, she lived in Narva, and attended secondary school in Siberia. She studied painting and engraving at the Pallas Art School in Tartu under the supervision of Nikolai Triik and Ado Vabbe. In 1937, Bach married the painter Kaarel Liimand. She worked as a lecturer at her former art school in 1940-1941.
In 1941, during the German occupation of Estonia, Bach was sent to live in Yaroslav in the Soviet Union. There, she was an active member in the Union of Estonian Artists, founded in 1943. She was a mentor to fellow Estonian artist Evald Okas. Bach was awarded the State Prize of the Estonian SSR in 1947.
After the war, Bach settled in Tallinn. She was awarded People’s Artist of the Estonian SSR in 1961. Bach died in Tallinn on August 6, 1980.

Artistry

Many of Bach's works portray women, representing many different settings and professions. Her style has been described as including both poetic realism and Socialist Realism. Many of her pieces were created using intaglio engraving techniques. While some of Bach's art has been characterized as a product of Soviet propaganda, art critic Eha Komissarov has argued that Bach, a genuine political leftist, used Soviet iconography as a means to portray women's participation in public life. Later in her career, Bach painted portraits of public figures including Debora Vaarandi.