A great painter from my country

Jānis Rozentāls

ISMA Secondary School “Premjers”Form 10 a

Antons MuzičkinsRiga, 2013

Jānis Rozentāls was born on 18 March 1866, in Saldus

parish. A son of a blacksmith, he received the basic education at H.Krause's Elementary School in Saldus and Kuldīga District School.

At the age of fifteen the boy left for Riga and consistently tried to realize his dream about art, later entering St.Petersburg Academy of Art. During study vacations the developing artist visited his native land to relax from the hectic rhythm of the large city, paint motifs from nature and commissioned portraits.

For his diploma work he took as models the young educated Latvians and local farmers. A little later the artist decided to settle in Saldus as he wanted to live among his people and create art appropriate to its aspirations and feelings.

Early years

Jānis RozentālsSelf portrait

(1900)

In spring 1899 Rozentāls bought a building plot in Striķu

street in Saldus and set up a studio, but his intents were not well received in the provincial town and he moved to Riga two years later. Now a memorial museum is arranged in Saldus, in the building designed by the artist.

On February 20, 1903, he got married to Elli Forsell, a Finnish singer. They found home in a flat- studio, in Alberta street and had three children. World War I interrupted the family's life in Riga and in 1915 they relocated to Finland.

He died suddenly on December 26, 1916 and was buried in Helsinki, though later was reburied in his homeland.

Today, the Jānis Rozentāls Art High school in Riga is named after him, and has had his name since 1946.

Life

The Monument of Jānis Rozentāls

in front of the Memorial museum in Saldus,

the artist’s native town.

The scope of Rozentāls' activities was very wide, but painting

was of paramount importance. He revealed the beauty of nature, demonstrated the integrity of man and nature.

In Rozentāls' works the linear coexisted with the picturesque, flatness – with a soft transition of tones, small touches of paint – with vast surfaces of color.

The main trait of his compositions was asymmetry, the wavelike rhythm of Art Nouveau.

Rozentāls painted many portraits. The creative potential of the artist revealed itself in the portraits of persons spiritually close to him. Rozentāls made several portraits of the patron of writers and artists A.Dombrovskis, writer Rūdolfs Blaumanis, artist's wife Elli Forsell.

Creative work

Portrait of writerRūdolfs Blaumanis

(1908)

Jānis Rozentāls’s interest in

the biological nature of man – the world of passions, the love theme - was typical of his time. He used the popular Biblical plots "Temptation", "Eve with the Apple", motives from the mythology and observations of the reality of his time. At least a part of the fantastic images possessed both, contemporary and local, and individual symbolic meaning.

Creative work

Arcadia

(1910)

The artist turned to landscape

painting as well, and created a lyrical image of the motherland in the Latvian art. His favorite season was spring, the rebirth of Nature.

J.Rozentāls made several altar-pieces to order in the churches of Latvia. In his altar-pieces Rozentāls omitted the dynamics, expressiveness, texture and finished composition. He took into consideration the understanding of art of the simple people and adapted himself to it, yet at the same time he tried not to lose the artistic quality.

Creative work

A Village in Kurzeme(1912)

Painting occupied a central place

in the creative activity of Jānis Rozentāls, yet his performance in graphic art was significant, too. The scope of his activity was very wide – the design of books and magazines, applied graphic art, posters and drawings.

He devoted much effort to the consolidation of Latvian artists, who were neglected in their native land. He was a member of jury of almost all the biggest Latvian art exhibitions. Rozentāls took part in the organization of the exhibitions of Latvian art outside Latvia.

Creative work

Mother and Child(1904)

Jānis Rozentāls and Rūdolfs Blaumanis Museum

The Rozentals family lived in Apartment No. 9 at Alberta iela 12, from 1904 until 1915.

The building is one of the most significant Art Nouveau architectural monuments in Rīga, and was built in 1903.

The artist’s workshop built on an upper floor was meant specifically for Jānis Rozentāls’ family. Visitors to the Museum can view the Art Nouveau period apartment interior and Jānis Rozentāls’ creative work in the environment in which the artist worked and where many important Latvians working in the field of culture came to visit at the beginning of the 20th century.

Famous Latvian writer Rūdolfs Blaumanis (1863 – 1908) – J. Rozentāls’ friend and confederate, periodically lived in the apartment as a lodger from 1906 until 1908. There is a R. Blaumanis memorial room set up at the Museum.

Gallery

Portrait of Mērija Grosvalds (1902)

Princess with a monkey (1913)

Under a Rowan(1905)

Under the Cherry Tree(1904)

Daughters of sun (1912)

Porch in the Capri

(1912)

Italian Landscape(1915)

From the church service (1894)

Thank you for your attention !

This presentation has been made for the Comenius Multilateral Project " Save the Past, live the Present, Imagine the Future" .

This project has been funded with support from the European Commission.This presentation reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use

which may be made of the information contained therein.