The Belle Époque in Kaunas

Latvijos meno paroda „Kylant savais sparnais. XX a. pradžios Latvijos menas“* – maloni staigmena Lietuvos žiūrovui. Nacionaliniame M.K. Čiurlionio muziejuje eksponuotos Rygos architektūros nuotraukos ir projektai, o tapybos ir grafikos kūriniai nepaprastai pritiko atnaujintose Velnių muziejaus salėseThe Latvian art exhibition Taking its own Wing. Latvian Art of the Early 20th Century in Kaunas (brought by the Latvian National Art Museum, celebrating its centenary this year) was a nice surprise to Lithuanian audience. It featured photographs and designs of Riga architecture, as well as paintings and graphic works. The Latvian capital is a true metropolis of the Secession, which in Riga manifests the German, Austrian and Finish influences. Two formal Secession trends are most prominent in Riga, the eclectic decorative and that of national romanticism. The exhibition presented the historic architecture of Riga through high quality black-and-white photographs, taken on commission from the Latvian Architects Union in 1989, as a presage of the imminent changes. Alongside, some lively and interesting discussion of the structures was presented in the medium of film. The originals of architectural designs added a strong sense of authenticity to the event. Though in the early 20th century Lithuanian art was also ‘taking its own wing’, the scale of construction and the opportunities open for the artists in the two countries were, at the time, beyond comparison. The exhibition showed the materials claiming there were over 400 Secession style buildings in the Old Town of Riga. Latvian artists were participants and winners of important international exhibitions back at the turn of century. Some of the best renowned artists of the period were Valteris Purvytis, Janis Rozentāls and Janis Valteris. The artistic scene, however, both in Latvia and Lithuania, was dominated by the influence of Neo-romanticism, Symbolism, Secession and Realism. It was the time marked by diversity and change, when the work of the artists knew neither stylistic nor ideological constraints. The Latvian landscape of the period is dominated by unique silverish colours typical of northern Europe.[...]Vytauto Didžiojo universiteta