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1

Latviešu mākslinieku gaitas karadienestā. 1914–1922

100%
Kāle S.
Makslas Vesture un Teorija
|
2015
|
vol. 18
84-102
EN
Military service coincided with the artists’ youth as the most important period of life; it affected the development of personality as well as the choice of the place of residence and creative paths. Artists who studied in St. Petersburg had a chance to avoid military operations, working for the Trophy Commission whose full name was Commission of Description of Russian War Trophies and Ancient Flags. Their tasks were to collect and capture past and present testimonies of Russian Army’s heroic deeds, design flags and honorary badges, portray officers and soldiers awarded with St. George’s Cross as well as reconstruct decisive moments of military action. Many Latvians were included in the battalion of Kexholm Reserve Regiment attached to the Trophy Commission. Most prolific Latvian draughtsmen in the regiment were Dāvids Draule (1889–1949), Alberts Kronenbergs (1887–1958), Kārlis Miesnieks (1887–1977) and Jānis Saukums (1890–1936). Regardless of favourable conditions, artists had difficulties to continue their artistic education; they could not complete their study years and receive diplomas. Artists who ended up in the regiments of Latvian riflemen were in a less stable situation; although Jāzeps Grosvalds (1891–1920) tried to create an official team of artists, the only result was protection based on personal contacts and oral agreements. Thanks to the cooperation with the Latvian War Museum Director Kārlis Straubergs (1890–1962), Kārlis Johansons (1890–1929) together with other allies cast death masks of riflemen fallen during the Christmas Battles, went to the front line and drew heroes in their action stations as well as worked on illustrations for the publication 'Jaunā Latvija'. Reservist Eduards Gruziņš (1887–1934) made decorations for the regiment gathering and illustrated the magazine 'Strēlnieks'; Kārlis Baltgailis (1893–1979) had a similar experience in the Imanta Regiment, decorating the stage and auditorium and making actors’ costumes for performances. Artists who lacked special protection had to rely on the benevolence of fortune. Some were quite lucky, for example, Uga Skulme (1895–1963) who supervised road building works for the Russian Army supply in the Caucasus front or Indriķis Zeberiņš (1882–1969), secretary of the train company stationed in Finland. Thanks to good education, they managed to settle in expedient posts, which allowed practicing art alongside direct duties.
2

Nezināmās lappuses latviešu mākslinieku dzīvē. Neatkarības karš 1918.–1920. gadā

86%
Jēkabsons Ē.
Makslas Vesture un Teorija
|
2021
|
vol. 25
29-38
EN
From the summer of 1919, the Latvian War of Independence (1918–1920) and Provisional Government had the nation's relatively strong support. In the autumn of 1919, the German-Russian Western Russian volunteer army led by Pavel Bermondt was completely driven out of the territory of Latvia as was the Red Army of Soviet Russia in early 1920. Most of the Latvian population took part in the struggle for independence, and some of them were forced to stand in the ranks of opponents of Latvian statehood (Army of Soviet Latvia and Red Army of Soviet Russia) for some time, which was determined by the difficult military-political situation in the region and Latvia. Already during the First World War, most Latvian men in the age group suitable of military service were in the service of the Russian army. The new generation of Latvian artists formed a very specific and important, albeit relatively small contingent. In addition, during their military service in the Russian army and then in other armed formations, some of them continued to maintain active mutual contacts and, as far as possible, to engage in art. The aim of the article is to reflect the hitherto unknown pages in the life of Latvian artists during the Latvian War of Independence, when many of them directly participated in important yet insufficiently researched episodes of this important process. In this way, both the body of biographies of prominent artists (reflecting aspects of their lives that have been insufficiently researched for various reasons) and the understanding of the history of the War of Independence in general are significantly supplemented. The aim has been addressed by paying attention to the representatives of the field of fine arts. Artists became involved in the events of the Latvian War of Independence since the beginning of the country's existence. Although many artists were forced to serve in the Army of Soviet Latvia from which most deserted in May and June of 1919, many others remained and continued their service. The deserters immediately joined the Latvian state service, many took part in battles, and many, like Captain Otto Skulme, were attached to the Latvian War Museum, directly participating in its formation. In general, Latvian artists actively participated in all processes taking place during the First World War and the subsequent War of Independence.
3

Latviešu kreisās mākslas uzliesmojumi 20. gs. 20.–30. gados Latvijā un Padomju Krievijā

72%
Kāle S.
Makslas Vesture un Teorija
|
2021
|
vol. 25
39-54
EN
In the interwar period, the consistently developed output of leftist artists proved unacceptable and dangerous to both Soviet Russia’s and Latvia’s political elites and civic circles. This is largely evident from the previous research on this subject that has encountered numerous obstacles. Among these was either partial or complete annihilation of artists and their art during the Great Terror in Russia, the dogmatic perspective of Socialist Realism focused on meticulously realist form, direct Communist ideological connotations affecting leftist art as well as the traumatic historical experiences of Latvia and Latvians under the Soviet occupation and waves of repressions. The article is a pioneering look at the most radical leftist Latvian artists’ activities in Soviet Russia and Latvia, searching for their common denominators. In 1922 and 1923, the artist Kārlis Johansons (1890–1929) who was known in Russian avant-garde circles wanted to organise two exhibitions in Latvia with himself as well as Gustavs Klucis (1895–1938) and Aleksandrs Drēviņš (1889–1938) as participants but met with a lack of interest. Klucis and Johansons later took part in the leftist Latvian group Kref that was active from 18 November 1923 to spring 1924, uniting fine artists and writers. In Latvia, the tandem of writer Linards Laicens (1883–1938) and artist Ernests Kālis (1904–1939) took over the popularisation of leftist art in the second half of the 1920s. They were active for some time before the onset of the Great Depression paying attention to constructivist form alongside socially critical ideas. The brightest example of their cooperation was the revolutionary literary magazine of Latvian workers Kreisā Fronte published in Riga from March 1928 to December 1930 when it was closed. Leftist Latvian authors had episodic contacts via the cultural and educational society Prometejs (1924–1937). At first, the society was active in publishing Latvian books and periodicals at its publishing house Prometejs but in the early 1930s it also oversaw the Latvian section of the International Bureau of Revolutionary Artists (IBRA). Kālis as well as Samuils Haskins (1909–1974), emigrated to Soviet Russia in the mid-1930s but, instead of Soviet benefits, both encountered the directives of Socialist Realism and were arrested in 1937 and 1938 as Latvian spies. Although, unlike Drēviņš and Klucis, they escaped death during the Great Terror, they experienced confinement or exclusion from culture as “wrong” leftists, threatening or too alien to the established artistic life or political system.
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