Irises and Art Nouveau at the Pēteris Upītis Horticultural Museum
From May 12, the exhibition “Irises” prepared by the Riga Municipal Art Nouveau Center, a museum of the association of cultural institutions, will be on display next to his memorial items in the house of the outstanding breeder Pēteris Upītis in Dobele. The iris flower gained particular popularity during the Art Nouveau period, when it inspired both painters and masters of applied arts. The exhibition demonstrates the high professionalism of artists of the early 20th century and their ability to embody the beauty of irises in dishes, textiles, and elsewhere. The exhibition emphasizes Pēteris Upītis’ work in iris breeding, its heritability today, and also complements the spring-flowering garden.
The “Riga Art Nouveau Centre Collection” of the museum contains many objects decorated with iris flower elements. Irises motifs were used quite widely in metal art, creating various household items, such as trays, plates, and kitchen utensils. These items were mostly produced in various European factories. The diversity of form, materials, and decorative elements is evident in the teapot produced by the C. Deffner company in Esslingen, Germany, which is placed on a stand. The legs of the stand are decorated with exquisite iris flowers. Irises were also popular in the decoration of porcelain and faience items. The cup and saucer with a purple iris painting made in the “J. Jaksch&Co” porcelain painting workshop are outstanding. One of the most characteristic Art Nouveau services of the MS Kuznetsov Society porcelain and faience factory was the “Iris” service, the decor of which can be traced back to the “Villeroy&Boch” factory in Wallerfangen. The Riga factory continued to produce iris services after World War I. The washable mug produced at the porcelain and faience factory of the MS Kuzņecov Society stands out with its colorful accents.
We will be able to observe modern interpretations of the flower characteristic of Art Nouveau in the artworks of painters Ilse Krūkle and Aija Prince, as well as in the photographs of Laimonis Zaķis.
The exhibition in Dobele has been extended until November 10th.
The project is supported by: State Cultural Capital Fund, Zemgale Planning Region and Latvian State Forests.
Additional information:
Zaiga Bogdanova
Museum “Riga Art Nouveau Center”
Phone: 67012401
E-mail: Zaiga.Bogdanova@riga.lv
Inese Shinta
Peter Upitis Horticultural Museum
Phone: 26408655
e-mail: inese.sinta@llu.lv