Landscape in the History of Latvian Photography

Historically, landscape has been the favourite source of motifs for Latvian photographers. It still has not lost its significance today. Scenes of the native country have been immortalised for artistic purposes and recorded for historical memory as well. The lecture will mostly dwell on the manifestations of photography at the beginning of the 20th century and also during the interwar period. What caught the photographers` attention during this dynamic period of Latvian history? What was sought for in nature and what attracted their interest in the urban environment? And, finally – what actually is ‘Latvian national landscape’? “Where, then, is the place for our work in photography? In our native land, our trustworthy friend, where each road, tree, brook, each farmstead speaks eloquently in our own language. What greater satisfaction can there be than imbuing an ordinary stretch of land with new brilliance and creating images suffused with mood, whose inimitable simplicity we can observe all the longer and with great pleasure. (..) Everyone should look for motifs for photographs in their native land, in the nearer or more distant surroundings of their activity.”<sup>2

2</sup>Illustrierte Beilage der Rigaschen Rundschau 1908, Nr. 9: 71

Curator: Elīna Ķempele (LV)

Organizer: Riga Photography Biennial in cooperation with the Association of Culture Institutions of Riga City Council and Riga Art Space

Image: Kārlis Ezergailis. Rye field. N.v. 1913. From "Stari", 1913, No. 8.