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Janis Rozentāls

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Birth Date:
18.03.1866
Death date:
08.01.1917
Extra names:
Janis Rozentāls, Янис Розенталс
Categories:
Artist, Graphic Artist, Painter, Photographer
Nationality:
 latvian
Cemetery:
Cimetière de la Forêt (Riga)

Janis Rozentāls (March 18, 1866, Bebri Farmstead, Saldus parish, Courland Governorate – December 26, 1916) was a famous Latvian painter.

Life

Rozentāls was 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. In spring 1899 Rozentāls bought a building plot at the Striķu street 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 the building designed by the artist. Fateful turn in life of the painter happened in November, 1902, when Janis Rozentāls got acquainted with Elli Forsell(1871–1943), a Finnish singer, in Riga. On February 20, 1903, they got married. They found home in a flat- studio, in Alberta street, in Riga. they had three children – Laila, Irja and Miķelis. 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 Janis Rozentāls Art Highschool in Riga is named after him, and has had his name since 1946.

Creative work

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 wast 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.

Janis Rozentāls interested 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.

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.

The artist tried his skills in monumental painting. In the summer of 1910 he worked at the decorative frieze on the facade of the newly-erected building of the Riga Latvian Society. He painted seven symbolic compositions characterizing the main activities of the society.

Painting occupied a central place in the creative activity of Janis 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.

The characterization of Janis Rozenāls' personality would not be exhaustive without a review of his social activity. During his study years he took part in the life of the Academy of St. Petersburg. Later 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.

Gallery

  • File:Monument of Janis Rozentāls. Saldus.jpg

    Monument of Janis Rozentāls in Saldus

  • File:Rozentals Nave.jpg

    Nāve (Death), 1897, Latvian National Museum of Art

  • File:Rozentals Veranda Kapri.jpg

    Porch in the Capri.

  • File:Janis Rozentals - Italian Landscape.jpg

    Italian Landscape.

  • File:Rozentals gimene sigulda.jpg

    Family in the Sigulda. (1913)

  • File:Rozentals No kapsetas.jpg

    From the cemetery (1895)

  • File:Rozentals Pec dievkalpojuma.jpg

    From the church service (1894)

  • File:Rozentals Pikniks.jpg

    Picnic (1913)

  • File:Rozentals Pasportrets.jpg

    Self portrait (1900)

  • File:Rozentals Blaumana portrets.jpg

    Portrait of writer Rūdolfs Blaumanis (1908)

  • File:Rozentals Merijas Grosvaldes projekts.jpg

    Portrait of Mērija Grosvalds (1902)

  • File:Rozentals Livenes portrets.jpg

    Portrait of Charlotte von Lieven (1899)

  • File:Janis Rozentals - Princess with a Monkey.jpg

    Princess with a monkey (1913)

  • File:Rozentals Melna cuska.jpg

    Black snake (1903)

  • File:Rozentals Cilvekmeita un dabas gari.jpg

    Women and the spirits of Nature (1907)

  • File:Rozentals Makslinieka darbnica.jpg

    At the painters workshop (1896)

  • File:Janis Rozentals - At the Source.jpg

    At the source

  • File:Rozentals Saules meitas.jpg

    Daughters of sun (1912)

  • File:Rozentals Virietis ar papirosu.jpg

    Men with a Russian Cigarette (1901)

  • File:Rozentals Vignere Grinberga.jpg

    Portrait of M.Vīgnere-Grīnberga (1916)

Source: wikipedia.org

Title From To Images Languages
Alberta iela Alberta iela lv, ru
Latvian National Museum of ArtLatvian National Museum of Art14.09.1905en, lv, ru
Latviešu biedrības nams - MāmuļaLatviešu biedrības nams - Māmuļalv

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        Relation nameRelation typeBirth DateDeath dateDescription
        1Miķelis RozentālsMiķelis RozentālsFather00.00.182600.00.1905
        2Lavīze RozentāleLavīze RozentāleMother00.00.182500.00.1902
        3Miķelis RozentālsMiķelis RozentālsSon03.08.190710.11.1952
        4
        Irja Ausma GopperDaughter12.01.190622.08.1984
        5Laila ViļumsoneLaila ViļumsoneDaughter16.09.190328.11.1977
        6
        Anna ŠillereSister00.00.1857
        7Elli  ForssellElli ForssellWife26.10.187125.06.1943
        8Eduards ŠillersEduards ŠillersNephew16.08.188916.07.1938
        9
        Adolf Theodor KoskenalhoFather in-law23.06.183713.05.1909
        10
        Anna Vendla Augusta BonsdorffMother in-law01.06.184930.08.1897
        11Miķelis GoppersMiķelis GoppersSon in-law13.06.190805.11.1996
        12
        Raimonds ViļumsonsSon in-law08.10.190817.01.1933
        13
        Fausta RozentāleDaughter in-law13.10.190528.05.1980
        14Anna ForseleAnna ForseleSister in-law20.11.188210.06.1970
        15
        Elizabete ForseleBrother in-law
        16
        Jānis Lauris RozentālsGrandson05.07.193220.06.1989
        17
        Atis RozentālsGrandson25.06.193500.00.2007
        18
        Miķelis RozentālsGrandson26.04.194523.07.2022
        19
        Ieva RozentāleGranddaughter
        20Kārlis GoppersKārlis Goppersdistant relative02.04.187625.05.1941
        21Malvīne Vīgnere-GrīnbergaMalvīne Vīgnere-GrīnbergaFriend25.10.187306.06.1949
        22Kristaps ValtersKristaps ValtersFriend18.12.186104.11.1944
        23Vilhelms PurvītisVilhelms PurvītisFriend03.03.187214.01.1945
        24Mērija Vilhelmīne Doroteja  GrīnbergaMērija Vilhelmīne Doroteja GrīnbergaFriend21.01.188130.09.1973
        25Marija LeikoMarija LeikoFriend14.08.188703.02.1938
        26Johann  Walter-KurauJohann Walter-KurauFriend02.03.186919.12.1932
        27Rūdolfs BlaumanisRūdolfs BlaumanisFriend01.01.186304.09.1908
        28Ādams AlksnisĀdams AlksnisFriend, Familiar, Idea mate10.03.186421.03.1897
        29Bernhards BorhertsBernhards BorhertsFriend01.12.186300.00.1945
        30Gustavs  ŠķiltersGustavs ŠķiltersSchoolmate, Coworker15.11.187424.09.1954
        31Jānis ReekstsJānis ReekstsFamiliar21.05.188121.11.1970
        32Arkhip KuindzhiArkhip KuindzhiFamiliar15.01.184224.07.1910
        33Jāzeps VītolsJāzeps VītolsFamiliar26.07.186324.04.1948
        34Anna BrigadereAnna BrigadereFamiliar01.10.186125.06.1933
        35Konstantīns PēkšēnsKonstantīns PēkšēnsFamiliar08.03.185923.06.1928
        36Jānis  TilbergsJānis TilbergsFamiliar, Idea mate20.06.188007.11.1972
        37Eduards BrencēnsEduards BrencēnsFamiliar, Idea mate02.07.188517.04.1929
        38Emils DarzinsEmils DarzinsFamiliar03.11.187531.08.1910
        39Ilya RepinIlya RepinFamiliar05.08.184429.09.1930
        40Valērijs BrjusovsValērijs BrjusovsFamiliar13.12.187309.10.1924
        41Teodors ZaļkalnsTeodors ZaļkalnsFamiliar30.11.187606.09.1972
        42Jānis JaunsudrabiņšJānis JaunsudrabiņšFamiliar25.08.187728.08.1962
        43Jānis AsarsJānis AsarsFamiliar27.02.187731.07.1908
        44Eižens LaubeEižens LaubeFamiliar25.05.188021.07.1967
        45Karlis  BrencenasKarlis BrencenasFamiliar, Idea mate06.05.187930.04.1951
        46Makss Gustavs Rihards  ŠervinskisMakss Gustavs Rihards ŠervinskisTeacher31.10.185912.07.1909
        47Alberts KronenbergsAlberts KronenbergsStudent18.10.188706.09.1958
        48Otto SkulmeOtto SkulmeStudent08.08.188922.03.1967
        49Milda GrīnfeldeMilda GrīnfeldeStudent29.12.188121.12.1966
        50
        Jānis Vilhelms ZegnersStudent05.07.188409.12.1933
        51Zelma Des CoudresZelma Des CoudresStudent02.01.188304.03.1956
        52Valdemārs ToneValdemārs ToneStudent28.03.189230.07.1958
        53Frīdrihs Arnolds GrosvaldsFrīdrihs Arnolds GrosvaldsIdea mate13.12.185008.04.1924
        54Vilis OlavsVilis OlavsIdea mate18.05.186728.03.1917

        31.01.1890 | Rūķis

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