Mai Levin

Mai Levin (born 9 March 1942) is an Estonian art historian, art critic and curator. She worked at the Art Museum of Estonia from 1961, including as head of the museum's graphic art department and later in senior research/collections roles. Levin has published monographs and curated exhibitions on Estonian art, and has received state honours and major professional awards in Estonia.

Early life and education

Levin completed Tallinn's 10th Secondary School in 1959 and graduated from the University of Tartu (then Tartu State University) in 1967 in the history–philology faculty. Her 1967 degree thesis topic was Eesti–Prantsuse kunstisuhted ajavahemikus 1905–1939 (“Estonian–French art relations, 1905–1939”).

Career

After early work in museum and archival institutions in 1959–1961, Levin joined the Art Museum of Estonia in 1961. At the museum she worked as a researcher and keeper of the graphic art collection (1961–1973), headed the graphic art department (1973–1993), and later served as research director and in other senior specialist roles.

Levin has also been active in the professional community of Estonian art historians and curators; she served as chair of the Estonian Association of Art Historians and Curators (EKKÜ) in 1993–1996.

Research, writing and curatorial work

Levin's scholarship and criticism has focused especially on 20th-century Estonian art and on Estonian modernism, including extensive work on artists such as Eduard Wiiralt, Kristjan Raud and Johann Köler. Alongside her writing, she has curated exhibitions and contributed to museum catalogues and collection research.

In 2007 Levin received the State Cultural Prize for the exhibitions Ühest sajandist teise. Kristjan ja Paul Raud (“From One Century to the Next: Kristjan and Paul Raud”) and Vene valitsejad. Valitsejaportreed Eesti kunstikogudest (“Russian Rulers: Portraits of Rulers in Estonian Art Collections”) and their accompanying catalogues.

Honours and awards

• 2001 – Order of the White Star, IV class.
• 2007 – Estonian State Cultural Prize.
• 1999 and 2022 – Kristjan Raud Prize.
• 2022 – Annual award / “years’ award” of the Estonian Association of Art Historians and Curators.

Selected works

• Levin, Mai. Eduard Wiiralt: 1898–1954. Tallinn: Eesti Kunstimuuseum, 1998.
• Levin, Mai. Kristjan ja Paul Raud: Ühest sajandist teise / From One Century to the Next (exhibition catalogue). Tallinn: Eesti Kunstimuuseum, 2006.
• Levin, Mai. Johann Köler (1826–1899). Tallinn: Eesti Kunstimuuseum, 2019.
• Levin, Mai. Kristjan Raud 1865–1943: suur kunstnik ja rahvuskultuuri ehitaja / his life, work and the shaping of Estonian culture. Tallinn: Mai Levini Sõprade Seltsing, 2021.
• Levin, Mai. Kujutav kunst Tartus 1960. aastatel / Visual arts in Tartu in the 1960s. Tartu: Tartu Kunstimuuseum, 2023.