maastikukunsti

Maastikukunsti, or landscape art, is a branch of visual art dedicated to depicting natural and man-made landscapes. It encompasses painting, drawing, photography, sculpture, and, in contemporary practice, installation and video. The central concerns are the appearance of the landscape—forms, light, color, weather—and the relationship between people and place. Works may be representational, conveying particular places or moods, or abstract, exploring landscape as a field of texture, space, and memory. The genre often engages with environmental and social themes, including climate, land use, heritage, and identity.

Historically, landscape began to be treated as a distinct genre in Western art in the early modern period, gaining prominence during the Romantic era with an emphasis on the sublime and the natural world. It continued to develop through Realism, Impressionism, and modernist movements, and in late 20th and 21st century expanded to site-specific and environmental art. In contemporary practice, maastikukunsti can address ecological concerns, urban transformation, and personal or collective memory.

In Estonia, landscape art has been an important strand of national art history. The tradition includes plein air painting and the depiction of Estonian forests, bogs, rivers, and coastlines, as well as works that reflect changing land use and ecological awareness. Konrad Mägi (1878–1925) is regarded as a foundational figure in Estonian landscape painting, influencing subsequent generations. Today maastikukunsti in Estonia encompasses traditional painting as well as photography, installation, and public art that engage with place and environment.