Journals from University of Tartu

Igor Černov, founder of the Department of Semiotics in Tartu. In memoria

Randviir, Anti

Sütiste, Elin

Kull, Kalevi

English

Igor Černov, founder of the Department of Semiotics in Tartu. In memoriam

Mänd, Anu

Baltic Journal
o f
ART HISTORY
27
2024
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BALTIC JOURNAL OF ART HISTORY
No. 27
Published by the University of Tartu Press in cooperation with the Department of Art History,
Institute of History and Archaeology, University of Tartu
Editor-in-Chief: Kadri Asmer
This volume compiled by Anu Mänd
Editorial Board:
Kaur Alttoa  University of Tartu, Estonia
Sergei Androsov  The State Hermitage Museum, Russia
Jan von Bonsdorff  Uppsala University, Sweden
Sirje Helme  Art Museum of Estonia
Markus Hiekkanen University of Turku, Finland
Lolita Jablonskienė Vilnius Academy of Arts, Lithuania
Aivar Kriiska   University of Tartu, Estonia
Lars Olof Larsson   University of Kiel, Germany
Ville Lukkarinen   University of Helsinki, Finland
Juhan Maiste  University of Tartu, Estonia
Ruth Sargent Noyes National Museum of Denmark
Ojārs Spārītis  Latvian Academy of Art
Fred Thompson   University of Waterloo, Canada
Language editor: Daniel Allen
Layout of the volume: Peeter Laurits
Cover illustration: Detail from Michel Sittow‘s Assumption of the Virgin, c. 1500. 
Washington D.C., National Gallery of Art. Courtesy National Gallery of Art, Washington
This issue is supported by:
Cultural Endowment of Estonia (Eesti Kultuurkapital); University of Tartu, 
Faculty of Arts and Humanities (Tartu Ülikooli humanitaarteaduste ja kunstide valdkond)
Indexed in:
Scopus (Elsevier)
Web of Science
Editorial address:
Baltic Journal of Art History
Institute of History and Archaeology
University of Tartu
Ülikooli 18
Tartu 50090
Estonia
e-mail: kunstiajakiri@ut.ee
webpage: http://ojs.utlib.ee/index.php/bjah/
Journal DOI: https://doi.org/10.12697/issn1736-8812
© University of Tartu and the authors, 2024
ISSN 1736-8812 (print)
ISSN 2346-5581 (online)
Contents
ANU MÄND
Foreword
 
Articles
OSKAR J. ROJEWSKI, METTE BIRKEDAL BRUUN
The Privacy of a Court Painter: Michel Sittow and his Journeys to the Courts 
of Isabella of Castile, Christian II of Denmark, and Margaret of Austria
KASPAR KOLK
Late Gothic Bookbinding in Tallinn 
ANU MÄND
Art in Medieval Tartu
Miscellanea
IVAR LEIMUS
The Largest Livonian Coin Was Minted in Tartu
MAREK TAMM
Review: First Comprehensive Survey of Medieval Estonian Visual Culture
ANNELI RANDLA
Review: So Near and Yet So Far: Art History of Latvia I
54
FOREWORD
 
This special issue of the Baltic Journal of Art History delves into medieval 
art, with a particular focus on the interconnected realms of artists, 
objects, and places. This thematic choice reflects two key developments. 
First, it highlights the recent publication of volumes on medieval art as 
part of the multi-volume series History of Estonian Art and Art History of 
Latvia, released in 2023 and 2024 respectively. Second, it acknowledges the 
ongoing shifts in how medieval art is defined and studied, emphasizing 
the potential of international and multidisciplinary approaches to enrich 
our understanding of this dynamic field.
The necessity of international scholarly collaboration in medieval and 
Renaissance art research can be clearly illustrated through the case of 
Michel Sittow (c. 1469–1525). Born and buried in Tallinn (formerly Reval), 
Sittow pursued an illustrious career across European courts, serving in 
Castile, Denmark, and the Habsburg Low Countries. While his life and 
activities in Tallinn have been well-documented – leaving little expectation 
of uncovering new evidence in the city archives – his engagements abroad, 
particularly in Spain and Denmark, remain underexplored and ripe for 
further investigation. Sittow’s cross-border career highlights the inherently 
international nature of his life, a trait mirrored in the scholarship dedicated 
to uncovering his legacy.
In this issue, a joint article by Oskar J. Rojewski (Poland) and Mette 
Birkedal Bruun (Denmark) breaks new ground by addressing the concept 
of privacy in the life of a court painter, a largely neglected subject in art 
history. Through their study, the authors shed light on Sittow’s professional 
movements between courts and his responsibilities as a court painter. They 
pose compelling questions regarding the nature of his access to rulers, 
particularly whether proximity to power extended to sensitive or confidential 
information. This nuanced exploration of Sittow’s role not only enriches our 
understanding of his artistic career but also opens broader discussions on 
the intersections of art, politics, and personal agency in the medieval period.
In recent decades, the definition of medieval art and visual culture 
has expanded significantly. The recently published volumes on Estonian 
and Latvian medieval art histories reflect this broader understanding, 
incorporating chapters that draw extensively on archaeological finds, 
including jewellery, coins, textiles, various artefacts, and remains of 
buildings. The Estonian volume, for instance, includes a notable chapter 
on boundary stones adorned with images or inscriptions. Objects such as 
these, often considered ’marginal‘ in earlier times, would not have been 
included in traditional art historical studies of the 20th century. Today, 
however, the interconnectedness of medieval art and material culture studies 
is widely recognized, alongside the imperative for collaboration between 
art historians, archaeologists, historians, theologians, numismatists, and 
experts from other academic fields.
Two exemplary studies included in this issue, authored by Kaspar Kolk 
and Ivar Leimus, demonstrate the value of multidisciplinary approaches. 
Kaspar Kolk’s research focuses on Gothic bookbinding, a topic that has 
received scant attention in Estonia, particularly regarding the existence of 
local workshops. Kolk analyzed a corpus of approximately two hundred 
decorated Gothic bindings housed in Tallinn and identified at least twenty 
five that were likely produced locally. Through his meticulous study of 
motifs, patterns, and techniques, he uncovered evidence pointing to the 
presence of several distinct bookbinding masters. Kolk’s work contributes 
not only to a deeper understanding of manuscript and book production but 
also highlights the significance of book covers as both functional objects 
and works of art.
Ivar Leimus, a distinguished Estonian numismatist, investigates the 
visual and symbolic design of late medieval coins, emphasizing their role as 
instruments of political propaganda. He focuses particularly on the largest 
and most visually striking type of coin – the double thaler – minted for 
Bishop of Tartu, Jodokus von der Recke. By examining minute marks on 
the coins, Leimus identifies the mint masters and demonstrates how the 
coins’ designs were intricately tied to the bishop’s lofty position and political 
ambitions. His study underscores the dual role of coins as currency and as 
a medium for communicating authority and intent through visual means.
These studies exemplify the enriched perspectives that arise when medieval 
art is examined through the lens of interdisciplinary research, blending 
aesthetic, material, and socio-political dimensions. By expanding the focus 
to include diverse objects and contexts, they underline the evolving scope 
of medieval art history and its engagement with material culture studies.
Prof. Anu Mänd, guest editor
DOI: https://doi.org/10.12697/BJAH.2024.27.01
Articles



Foreword

Tamm, Marek

Review: First Comprehensive Survey of Medieval Estonian Visual Culture

Lang, Valter

Tvauri, Andres

Rohtla, Mari-Liis

The hill-fort of Keava : Keava linnus

Archaeological excavations at settlement site I of Linnaalust

Konsa, Marge

Lainemurd, Ingrid

Vaab, Helen

Archaeological excavations at settlement site I of Linnaaluste : Arheoloogilised kaevamised Linnaaluste I asulakohal

Probable cult site beside the Tõnija tarand-grave on the island of Saarema

Mägi, Marika

Probable cult site beside the Tõnija tarand-grave on the island of Saaremaa : Arvatav kultuskoht Tõnija tarandkalme kõrval Saaremaal

Preliminary investigations of the Lagedi settlement sit

Sarv, Krista

Preliminary investigations of the Lagedi settlement site : Eeluuringud Lagedi asulakohal

The construction-archaeological investigations in the Cistercian St. Michael's Convent in Tallin

Tamm, Jaan

Toos, Guido

Kalman, Jonathan

Mäll, Jaak

The construction-archaeological investigations in the Cistercian St. Michael's Convent in Tallinn: Ehitusarheoloogilistest uurimistööd tsistertslaste Tallinna Püha Miikaeli nunnakloostris

1997. aasta arheoloogilised inspektsioonid Võru-ja Setumaa

Aun, Mare

Kiristaja, Arvis

1997. aasta arheoloogilised inspektsioonid Võru-ja Setumaal: Archaeological inventories in Võrumaa and Setumaa in 1997

1997. aasta arheoloogilised inspektsiooni

Vindi, Andres

1997. aasta arheoloogilised inspektsioonid : Archaeological inventories of 1997

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