Wild Souls. Symbolism in the Art of the Baltic States
The Baltic States 鈥� Lithuania, Estonia and Latvia 鈥� became independent republics shortly after the end of the First World War. Marking the centenary of these countries, the Wild Souls exhibition presents Symbolism in Baltic art, from the 1890s to the 1930s. The project aim and main idea is to demonstrate the high professional level of the art that emerged in the Baltic States and to discover its distinctive characteristics within the general European context of art. Symbolism, born in France in the second half of the 19th century, affected all of European culture, including the Baltic art scene.
European Symbolism and the emancipation of consciousness that it manifests are closely linked in the Baltic States with the attainment of their freedom. The exhibition examines the play of influence and resistance through which artists developed a language of expression consistent with their perception of the world. Drawing on folk culture, folklore and local fairy tales, as well as unique natural scenery, truly original works of art were created. The thematic range of this movement, encompassing the world of mythology, folklore, fantasy, dreams and visions, along with decadent moods, comes across clearly in the work of outstanding Latvian artists Janis Rozent膩ls, Vilhelms Purv墨tis, Johann Walter, Rihards Zari艈拧, Gustavs 艩姆ilters, Teodors Za募kalns, P膿teris Krasti艈拧, R奴dolfs P膿rle, Teodors 弄ders, Aleksandrs Romans, and Sigismunds Vidbergs. Lithuania is represented by such vivid Symbolist classics as Mikalojus Konstantinas 膶iurlionis, Ferdinandas Ru拧膷icas (Ferdynand Ruszczyc), Petras Kalpokas, Stanis艂aw Jarocki, and Estonia by Kristjan Raud, Oskar Kallis, Konrad Vilhelm M盲gi and others.
General curator and concept author of the exhibition Wild Souls. Symbolism in the Art of the Baltic States is Rodolphe Rapetti (France) 鈥� a well-known researcher of European Symbolism with a long-standing interest in Baltic art. The exhibition offers a broad panorama of motifs and individual styles, presenting more than 160 works from the Latvian National Museum of Art (LNMA, Riga), the Art Museum of Estonia (Tallinn), Tartu Art Museum (Tartu), the Lithuanian National Museum of Art (Vilnius), the M. K. 膶iurlionis National Museum of Art (Kaunas) as well as private collections. In Riga, as in Paris, we have chosen as the project鈥檚 visual identity the painting Peasant Girl (ca. 1904) by the outstanding Latvian classic Johann Walter (1869鈥�1932). The sublime image of the girl symbolizes the rise of national consciousness and creative spirit that occurred a hundred years ago in the three independent states of Lithuania, Estonia and Latvia.
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The Baltic States 鈥� Lithuania, Estonia and Latvia 鈥� became independent republics shortly after the end of the First World War. Marking the centenary of these countries, the Wild Souls exhibition presents Symbolism in Baltic art, from the 1890s to the 1930s. The project aim and main idea is to demonstrate the high professional level of the art that emerged in the Baltic States and to discover its distinctive characteristics within the general European context of art. Symbolism, born in France in the second half of the 19th century, affected all of European culture, including the Baltic art scene.
European Symbolism and the emancipation of consciousness that it manifests are closely linked in the Baltic States with the attainment of their freedom. The exhibition examines the play of influence and resistance through which artists developed a language of expression consistent with their perception of the world. Drawing on folk culture, folklore and local fairy tales, as well as unique natural scenery, truly original works of art were created. The thematic range of this movement, encompassing the world of mythology, folklore, fantasy, dreams and visions, along with decadent moods, comes across clearly in the work of outstanding Latvian artists Janis Rozent膩ls, Vilhelms Purv墨tis, Johann Walter, Rihards Zari艈拧, Gustavs 艩姆ilters, Teodors Za募kalns, P膿teris Krasti艈拧, R奴dolfs P膿rle, Teodors 弄ders, Aleksandrs Romans, and Sigismunds Vidbergs. Lithuania is represented by such vivid Symbolist classics as Mikalojus Konstantinas 膶iurlionis, Ferdinandas Ru拧膷icas (Ferdynand Ruszczyc), Petras Kalpokas, Stanis艂aw Jarocki, and Estonia by Kristjan Raud, Oskar Kallis, Konrad Vilhelm M盲gi and others.
General curator and concept author of the exhibition Wild Souls. Symbolism in the Art of the Baltic States is Rodolphe Rapetti (France) 鈥� a well-known researcher of European Symbolism with a long-standing interest in Baltic art. The exhibition offers a broad panorama of motifs and individual styles, presenting more than 160 works from the Latvian National Museum of Art (LNMA, Riga), the Art Museum of Estonia (Tallinn), Tartu Art Museum (Tartu), the Lithuanian National Museum of Art (Vilnius), the M. K. 膶iurlionis National Museum of Art (Kaunas) as well as private collections. In Riga, as in Paris, we have chosen as the project鈥檚 visual identity the painting Peasant Girl (ca. 1904) by the outstanding Latvian classic Johann Walter (1869鈥�1932). The sublime image of the girl symbolizes the rise of national consciousness and creative spirit that occurred a hundred years ago in the three independent states of Lithuania, Estonia and Latvia.
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