Jānis Rozentāls was a Latvian painter born in 1866 who studied art in Riga and St. Petersburg. He settled in his native Saldus to be among his people and paint scenes of Latvian nature and portraits. His works featured the beauty of nature and integrated linear and colorful styles. Rozentāls painted many portraits of writers and artists important to Latvian culture. While his paintings were his primary focus, he also worked in graphic design and helped organize Latvian art exhibitions. Rozentāls made significant contributions to Latvian art before his untimely death in 1916.

1. ISMA Secondary School “Premjers”
Form 10 a
Antons Muzičkins
Riga, 2013

2. 
 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

3. Jānis Rozentāls
Self portrait
(1900)

4. 
 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

5. The Monument
of Jānis Rozentāls
in front of the Memorial
museum in Saldus,
the artist’s native town.

6. 
 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

7. Portrait of writer
Rūdolfs Blaumanis
(1908)

8. 
 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)

9.   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, textur
e 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)

10.   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)

11. 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.

12. Gallery
Portrait of Mērija Grosvalds
(1902)
Princess with a monkey
(1913)

13. Under a Rowan
(1905)
Under the Cherry Tree
(1904)

14. Daughters of sun
(1912)

15. Porch in the Capri
(1912)

16. Italian Landscape
(1915)

17. From the church service
(1894)

18. 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.