PRESS RELEASE
Riga, 08.11.2013
Impressions and parallels
Belgian and Latvian painting from the collection of the Latvian National
Museum of Art. First half of the 20th century
23 November 2013 – 2 February 2014
The Art Museum „Riga Bourse” / The Great Hall
6 Dom Square, Riga, LV-1050, Latvia
Press conference on 22 November 2013 at 12.00.
Registration: 11.30–12.00.
Opening of the exhibition on 22 November 2013 at 17.00.
From 23 November 2013 until 2 February 2014, in the Great Hall of the Art
Museum „Riga Bourse” (6 Dom Square, Old Riga), viewers will be able to see the
exhibition „Impressions and Parallels” – Belgian and Latvian painting of the first
half of the 20th century from the collection of the Latvian National Museum of Art.
The late 1920s saw an influx of Belgian influence in Latvian art that was to gather in
strength in the 1930s giving rise to a „Belgian fashion” in local painting. At the time Latvian
artists also drew inspiration from similar painterly expressions in the art of contemporary
French authors, European Old Masters and other examples. However, contemporary
reviews and Latvian art history literature usually emphasise the decisive significance of the
Belgian influence that overshadowed the other impulses.
The spread of the Belgian influence in the inter-war years was encouraged by the
large exhibition of Belgian art in Riga in the autumn of 1927. This was followed in 1932 by
the gift of a collection of Belgian art to the Latvian state initiated by the Latvian diplomat
Jānis Lazdiņš and the Belgian Commissioner General for foreign exhibitions Paul
Lambotte. The collection went on permanent public display in the then State Museum of
Art in Riga Castle. This valuable gift encompassing relatively modern expressions of
Flemish and Walloon art is now held by the Latvian National Museum of Art and has been
repeatedly on show in exhibitions. In this show, the paintings of Isidore Opsomer, Albert
Saverys, Valerius de Saedeleer, Albert Servaes, Philibert Cockx, Louis Buisseret, Anto
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Impressions and parallels. Belgian and Latvian painting from the collection of the Latvian National Museum of
Art. First half of the 20th century / LNMA – AMRB / 23.11.2013–02.02.2014 /
Carte and other noted Belgian authors are, for the first time, displayed alongside the works
of Latvian painters together with documentary materials.
The main protagonist in Belgian and Latvian relations was the temperamental adept
of Flemish expressionism Jānis Tīdemanis who first appeared on the local art scene in
1928 and who was to influence Kārlis Padegs and other artists of the younger generation.
Tīdemanis, the modernist known as the Latvian Belgian, trained at the Royal Academy of
Art in Antwerp, perfecting his skills later under Isidore Opsomer at the National Higher
Institute for the Fine Arts. Eduards Kalniņš and Valdis Kalnroze, pupils of the landscapist
Vilhelms Purvītis, visited Belgium in 1930. Among Purvītis’ students at the Latvian
Academy of Art there began to develop a following for Opsomer and similar authors, which
led to a flourishing of the expressive, pastoso style associated with Belgian painting.
Contemporaries found references to the French painter of Flemish descent Maurice
de Vlaminck in the styles of Riga Artists’ Group members Leo Svemps and Jānis Liepiņš
but the scenes of country life painted by former student of the Brussels Royal Academy of
Art Ģederts Eliass were compared to the depiction of Flemish peasants. In turn, Latvians
were indirectly united with the members of the Walloon group Nervia through the study of
the Old Masters that was marked by the „return to order” characteristic of the times.
In the search for points of intersection and parallels, the displayed works of both
collections are a good reason to explore Latvian art of the inter-war period, to renew our
view by evaluating the deep-seated preconceptions about the localisation of the Belgian
influence. The historical ties between the 20th century art of Latvia and Belgium are
illustrated in edition „Latvia – Belgium”, compiled by specialists of the Latvian National
Museum of Art and published by Neputns. Research into the cultural policy and
professional art ties between both countries will be the subject of an international scientific
conference to be held at the Art Museum „Riga Bourse” on 30 January 2014.
At the end of 2014 as a lead-in to Latvia’s first presidency of the Council of the
European Union, the opening of two exhibitions has been envisaged in Liège and La
Louvière. Drawing attention to various aspects of the ties between Belgian and Latvian art,
on show will be works from the collections of the Latvian National Museum of Art and the
Musée des Beaux-Arts de Liège and Musée Ianchelevici of the Walloon Region.
Text by Aija Brasliņa
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Impressions and parallels. Belgian and Latvian painting from the collection of the Latvian National Museum of
Art. First half of the 20th century / LNMA – AMRB / 23.11.2013–02.02.2014 /
SUPPORTERS and PARTNERS:
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Latvia, Ministry of Culture of the Republic
of Latvia, Embassy of the Kingdom of Belgium in Latvia, Embassy of Latvia in the Kingdom
of Belgium, the Latvian Presidency of the Council of the European Union, WallonieBruxelles International, Wallonie-Bruxelles Délégation à Varsovie, the City of Liège, Les
Musées de Liège, Musée des Beaux-Arts de Liège (BAL), Musée Ianchelevici in La
Louvière, the Neputns publishing house.
EXHIBITION CURATOR:
Aija Brasliņa, Head of the Collections and Scientific Research Department (18th – 1st Half
of the 20th Century) of the LNMA
T: (+371) 67 357404, E: Aija.Braslina@lnmm.lv
The Art Museum „Riga Bourse” (6 Dom Square, Riga, LV-1050, Latvia)
OPENING HOURS:
Daily 10.00–18.00, ticket office 10.00–17.45
Fridays 10.00–20.00, ticket office 10.00–19.45
Closed on Mondays
ADMISSION:
Individual admission fee for groups of 10 or more people given in brackets. Free admission for group leaders.
Adults:
Schoolchildren, students, senior citizens:
LVL 3,00 (2,50) / EUR 4,27 (3,56)
LVL 1,50 (1,00) / EUR 2,13 (1,42)
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Impressions and parallels. Belgian and Latvian painting from the collection of the Latvian National Museum of
Art. First half of the 20th century / LNMA – AMRB / 23.11.2013–02.02.2014 /
PRESS IMAGES (please request if need in a larger resolution)
1. Jānis Tīdemanis (1897–1964). Girl in a Folk Costume. Ca. 1930. Oil on wood.
Collection of the LNMA. Photo: Normunds Brasliņš
2. Jānis Tīdemanis (1897–1964). At the Harbour. Early 1930s. Oil on canvas.
Collection of the LNMA. Photo: Normunds Brasliņš
3. Jānis Tīdemanis (1897–1964). Diamond as Trump. 1931. Oil on canvas.
Collection of the LNMA. Photo: Normunds Brasliņš
4. Eduards Kalniņš (1904–1988). Raftsmen. 1935. Oil on canvas.
Collection of the LNMA. Photo: Normunds Brasliņš
5. Isidore Opsomer (1878–1967). The Old Town (Lierre in the 17th Century). Ca. 1927.
Oil on canvas. Collection of the LNMA. Photo: Roberts Kaniņš
6. Valerius de Saedeleer (1867–1941). Orchard. Ca. 1925. Oil on canvas.
Collection of the LNMA. Photo: Roberts Kaniņš
7. Albert Saverys (1886–1964). Flowers. Ca. 1930. Oil on canvas.
Collection of the LNMA. Photo: Roberts Kaniņš
8. Anto Carte (1886–1954). Idol (Revelation). Second half of the 1920s.
Oil and tempera on canvas. Collection of the LNMA. Photo: Roberts Kaniņš
Press release prepared by:
Natalie Suyunshalieva
Curator of Press, Information and Publicity
The Latvian National Museum of Art
P: (+371) 67 357527
F: (+371) 67 357520
E: pr.service@lnmm.lv
I: www.lnmm.lv
Twitter: www.twitter.com/lnmm_muzejs
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Impressions and parallels. Belgian and Latvian painting from the collection of the Latvian National Museum of
Art. First half of the 20th century / LNMA – AMRB / 23.11.2013–02.02.2014 /