Ludolf Liberts Paintings

Biography

Ludolfs Liberts was born in Tirza in 1895. He attended the J. Madernieks studio and also in the sculpture department of Strogonov’s art school between 1911 and 1912. In 1915 he graduated from the School of Art in Kazan (taught by the artist Nikolay Fesin) and in that time worked as a decorator at the Opera in Kazan.

He took part at the 1st World War as an artillerist and received awards about his achievements on the battleground. In 1921, he returns to Latvia and recommenced his career as a painter and teaching at the Latvian Art Academy from 1923 until 1932.

He worked as a decorator and director at the National Opera and National Theatre and also as a guest director and decorator in Lithuania, Finland, Sweden, Bulgaria and Yugoslavia.
He was a member of Riga artists’ group and artists’ society “Sadarbs”.

He took part in his first exhibitions in 1914 with solo exhibitions in Riga (1923, together with K. Ubāns, 1934, 1938), Paris (1927), Brussels (1929), Berlin (1934, 1938) and Stockholm (1938).

In 1944, Liberts emigrated first to Austria and after the war to Germany.

The artist painted European cities – Venice, Paris (also at night time), and landscapes of Latvia. He also worked in figurative genre, made portraits and sometimes decorative paintings.

Liberts arranged the Latvian pavillion at international exhibition in Paris, 1937.

When the artist painted in Latvia, he used to be constructivism. He then started to paint in a post impressionist manner in the European cities after his first trip to Paris in 1924.

In 1950, he went to the USA, New York. He learned painting in New York City College.

In 1953, a painting by L. Liberts “The Riga’s towers” was presented to the President of the USA – Dwight Eisenhower – as gratitude from American Latvian Association. This painting was exhibited at the White House at the Oval Office, and the President wrote a gratitude letter to the Chairman of ALA, where he said that he is proud about the painting.

In the American period, the artist painted the skyscrapers, romantic motifs of the Central park and colourful landscapes of Florida. Besides those paintings, he created memories of Venice, Riga, Paris and paintings about Bible themes. At the last stage of his creative work, he depicted reality as a stage vision. At the American period, he took part at various exhibitions.

The artist’s paintings are in Latvian, French, Austrian, Swedish, Belgian, Finnish, Russian and American largest museums and private collections.

Exhibitions:

1914. – „Mir iskustva” traveling exhibition in Kazan;
1915. – The Youth Union exhibition in Moscow;
1923. – People’s University celebration exhibition;
1923. – exhibition with Konrads Ubans at the State Art Museum;
1924. 1926. 1928., 1929., 1930., 1932., 1934., 1935., 1936., 1938. exhibitions of Artists Union „Sadarbs”;
International theater art exhibition – Paris (1926., 1929., 1937.), New York (1936), Chicago, Philadelphia (1926.), Helsinki (1929.), Munich, Zurich, Köln, Bonn, Wiesbaden, Barcelona (1931.), Vienna, Ottawa (1937.), Venice(1938.);
1928. – The Latvian 10 year’s jubilee exhibition in Riga;
1929., 1930., 1931., 1933. – The exhibition of autumn salon in Paris;
Latvian Art exhibition – Oslo (1933.), Moscow, Leningrad (1934.), Helsinki, Tallinn, Tartu, Warsaw, Krakow (1936.), Budapest, Vienna, Prague (1937.),Copenhagen (1938.), Paris, London, Malm (1939.);
Exhibitions of cultural foundation – I (1935.), II (1936.), III (1936./37.), IV (1937./38);
1937. – The exhibition in Paris at the Latvian pavillion;
1941. – 1st Latvian SSR Art exhibition;
1942. – The Art exhibition in Riga;
1946. -1950.- Latvian artists’ exhibition in Germany;
1950. -1958. – Latvian Song festival Art Exhibition in USA.

Solo exhibitions:

1923. 1934., 1938. – Riga;
1927. – Carpenter in gallery, Paris;
1929. – Palais des Beaux-Arts Brussels;
1931. – Gulitta gallery Berlin;
1934, 1938 – Berlin;
1938. – Stockholm;
1950. – 1959. – USA (11), also New York (9).

Awards:

1923. /24. 1924./25., 1927. The scholarships and a grant from the Latvian Culture Foundation;
1928. – The medal of Three Stars, IV degree;
1931. – The Gold medal in Barcelona;
1933. – The Nord Star medal from Sweden;
1934. – The title of an Excellent Artist from the Latvian Art Academy;
1937. – Grand Prix, Gold medal in Paris;
1952. – American Latvian association’s Culture Foundation Honor prize.

Literature:
“Māksla un arhitektūra biogrāfijās”, 2. part., – R.: “Latvijas enciklopēdija”, 1996.,- I. Ņefedova, p. 80.
“Ludolfs Liberts”, catalog – R.: printed by “Parekss bank”, text by Guntis Švītiņš, Ieva Kalniņa, 2000. , p. 72.