FIRST, LET US TAKE A LOOK AT THE HISTORICAL AND POLITICAL CONTEXT OF 20TH-CENTURY LATVIA.

THE TERRITORY OF LATVIA WAS PART OF THE RUSSIAN EMPIRE FROM THE 18TH CENTURY TO 1918

THE FIRST PERIOD OF INDEPENDENCE, 1918 – 1940

IN 1921, THE LATVIAN ACADEMY OF ART IS FOUNDED, FULFILLING THE VISION OF ITS FIRST RECTOR, PAINTER VILHELMS PURVĪTIS (1872 – 1945) TO CREATE A HIGHER ART EDUCATION ESTABLISHMENT IN LATVIA. THE LATVIAN ACADEMY OF ART BECOMES THE FOUNDATION OF THE NATIONAL SCHOOL OF ART

THE PROCESS OF ANNEXATION OF THE INDEPENDENT STATE OF LATVIA INTO THE USSR, 1940 – 1941

WORLD WAR II AND THE NAZI OCCUPATION, 1941 – 1944

LATVIA AS PART OF THE USSR: THE LATVIAN SSR, 1944 – 1991

THE LATVIAN ACADEMY OF ART AT THIS TIME WAS UNDER CONSTANT IDEOLOGICAL PRESSURE, WHICH WAS ESPECIALLY NOTICEABLE IN THE LATE 1940S AND EARLY 1950S.

THE SECOND PROCLAMATION AND DE FACTO REINFORCEMENT OF LATVIAN INDEPENDENCE, 1991

WITH REGAINED STATE INDEPENDENCE CAME THE NECESSARY CONDITIONS FOR THE RENEWAL OF THE MASTER STUDIO STYLE OF TUITION TRADITIONAL TO THE LATVIAN ACADEMY OF ART, AND ITS REINTEGRATION INTO THE GLOBAL ART AND CULTURE PROCESSES.

ALL OF THE PAINTINGS PRESENTED IN THIS EXHIBITION WERE CREATED IN THE 20TH CENTURY, BETWEEN 1930 AND 1973.

THE PAINTINGS SEEN HERE ARE GENRE-CONTENT LANDSCAPES AND STILL LIFES. THE DIFFERENT ARTISTIC STYLES OF THE PAINTERS FEATURED IN THE EXHIBITION CREATE AN INTERESTING VISUAL PERSPECTIVE AND AN EMOTIONALLY HARMONIOUS ATMOSPHERE. FOR THE MOST PART THESE WORKS REPRESENT THE REALISM SPECTRUM, WITH THE ARTISTS CAPTURING ON CANVAS THEIR SUBJECTIVE AESTHETIC PERCEPTIONS AND EMOTIONS IN MOMENTS OF CREATION. LANDSCAPE AS AN ELEMENT OF NATURE SERVES AS A BACKDROP FOR THE SEMANTIC UNIVERSALITIES SOUGHT WITHIN IT.

TEXT: ILZE KUIŠELE, DIRECTOR OF TIFANA ART GALLERY

ARTISTS:

ARVIDS EGLE (1905 – 1977)
VIEW OF THE CANAL
CANVAS ON PLYWOOD, OILS. 1930S. 51CM X 62CM

FRANCISKS VARSLAVĀNS (1899 – 1949)
A LATGALIAN LANDSCAPE
CANVAS, OILS. 1930S. 72CM X 100CM

LUDOLFS LIBERTS (1895 – 1959)
CELEBRATION
CARDBOARD, OILS. 1930S. 50CM X 64CM

FRIDRIHS MILTS (1906 – 1993)
STILL LIFE WITH FRUIT
CARDBOARDS, OILS. 1950S. 50CM X 41CM

JĀNIS GAILIS (1903 – 1975)
NEUSWANSTEIN
CANVAS ON CARDBOARD, OILS. 1968. 91CM X 56CM

NIKOLAJS KŪLAINIS (1901 – 1975)
MOSCOW
CANVAS, OILS. 1936. 56CM X 74CM

KONRĀDS UBĀNS (1893 – 1981)
LANDSCAPE
CANVAS, OILS. 1942. 60CM X 73CM

ALEKSANDRS ŠTRĀLS (1879 – 1947)
GENRE
CANVAS, OILS. 1930S. 71CM X 82CM

LEO KOKLE (1924 – 1964)
LANDSCAPE
CANVAS, OILS. 1950S. 41CM X 50CM