Liberts Ludolfs (1895 - 1959), painter

Set designer, painter Liberts Ludolfs was born on April 3, 1895 in Tirza, Madona district. Wife Amanda Liberte - Rebane - opera singer.

He got his first impressions of art from the painter V.Zeltins. Studied at J. Madernieks studio, Stroganov Art School in Moscow (sculpture department). 1915 graduated from Kazan School of Art. 1916 joined Alexander's military school, got on the Austrian front, later was an officer on the Polish front, interned in Germany. 1921 returned to Latvia. 1922 - 1924 worked for Ho-Ho magazine. He worked as a decorator and director of the National Opera (1924-1937), director of the State Paper Printing House and Mint (1935-1940, 1941-1944). LMA teacher (1923 - 1932), head of the Figural Painting Workshop (1942 - 1944). Participated in exhibitions since 1914. Worked in the Riga group of artists, in the artists' association "Sadarbs" (1924 - 1939), was its chairman (1929 - 1939). He has also exhibited works in local and foreign exhibitions organized by the Independent Artists 'Unit, the artists' association "Zaļa vārna", the Russian Federation and the state. Arranged the Latvian pavilion at the international exhibition in Paris (1937). Solo exhibitions in Riga (1923, together with K. Uban; 1934, 1938), Paris (1927), Brussels (1929), Berlin (1934, 1938). Stockholm) (1938).

The most important part of Liberta's work is scenography. Initially, he worked under the influence of Russian stage painting traditions, often surpassing the production itself in terms of the splendor of the scenery (for Mozart 's opera "Escape from the Seraya", 1924; A. Kalniņa' s "Salinieki", 1926; J. Mediņa 's "Sprīdītis", 1927. P. Tchaikovsky's ballet The Nutcracker, 1928). Later, the choice of means of expression has become more restrained, integral. He has been a guest screenwriter in theaters in Kaunas, Vilnius, Helsinki, Malmö, Zagreb and Sofia.

In early painting, features of constructivism can be felt in his early works. Under the influence of Western European travel, the lines and shapes gradually lost their sharpness and emphasis, the color became silvery, impressionistically vibrant. His views of Paris (often in the night light), depictions of Venetian canals, squares and castles gained popularity. Latvian landscapes are dominated by views of Torņakalns, homeland fields with birch groves and meadows. He painted figural compositions on the themes of ancient Latvian life, mostly with an idyllic character ("Wedding March in the Course", 1939). He has worked a lot in the portrait genre, where he sometimes feels a certain embellishment. The most successful portraits ("Old Fisherman", 1936; "Portrait of the Sculptor Kārlis Zāle", 1936) and self-portraits show high painting qualities. He has also painted imaginative portraits of ancient Latvian chiefs.

He has received scholarships and prizes from the Russian Federation several times (1923, 1924, 1927), won international awards (gold medal in Paris in 1931, in Barcelona in 1937).

1944 emigrated to Austria. After the war he moved to Germany, where he was a teacher at the Latvian Art School in Eslingen. During the camps, focus on tempera painting. 1950 entered the United States. Taught painting at New York City College. He painted landscapes of Riga, Paris and Venice. 1952 won the ALA CF honorary award in.

Died March 11, 1959 in New York, USA.

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