DOI Artikel:
Konstantynów, Dariusz: Polsko-łotewskie kontakty artystyczne w latach 30. XX w. Wystawy sztuki polskiej w rydze (1934) i łotewskiej w Warszawie (1936)
DOI Seite / Zitierlink: https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.28181#0306
Dariusz
Konstantynów
Polish-Latyian Artistic Contacts in the 1930s: Exhibitions of Polish Art
in Riga (1934) and of Latvian Art in Warsaw (1936)
Artistic contacts between Poland and Latvia in the inter-war period consisted
mainly of hosting each other s exhibitions. The first show of Polish art in Riga was
a travelling display of graphic art (February 1924). In November of that year, an exhi-
bition prepared by ‘Blok’ Group members together with Avant-garde members of the
Riga Artists’ Group (Rigas makslinieku grupa) was organised. It aroused great public
interest, with the works by Polish artists being extensively commented on by Latvian
reviewers.
The next exhibition took place just ten years later, i.e. in January 1934. Prepared by the
Society for the Promotion of Polish Art among Foreigners, it was the largest exhibition
of contemporary Polish art in Latvia in the inter-war period. Given its very official char-
acter, it attracted a lot of attention from the Tatvian press. The majority of publications,
however, were merely of an informative naturę, with only a few journalists attempting
to formulate their own opinions on the artistic output of the revived Poles. With an
overall positive assessment of Polish contemporary art, reviewers mainly exposed its dis-
tinctive nationaf character, with only one voice claiming that Polish art, despite its great
creative potential, had hardly gone beyond imitating ‘Paris models’.
In return for the Polish 1934 exhibition, a display of Tatvian art was launched in War-
saw in March 1936. Organised by the Latvian-Polish Association, it also enjoyed the sup-
port of the Warsaw-based Latvian diplomatic mission. Similarly to the Polish exhibition
in Riga, the Tatvian one was given an appropriate political setting. The display received an
enthusiastic welcome both in Warsaw and in Cracow where it was later transferred. Both
reviewers and the public were astounded by what they could see, additionally enhanced
by the awareness that Tatvian art was rooted merely in the mid-19th century, while its
actual development could be dated back only to its establishment as an independent State.
Contrary to the voices of Tatvian reviewers on the exhibition of Polish art, which except
for some did not exceed ‘diplomatic complementing’, Polish critics looked closely and
attentively at the Tatvian display, paying particular attention first of all to those issues
which they obseryed also in Polish art, e.g. the position versus European art, search for
the nations own ethnic artistic expression, or the ąuestion of ‘new realism’.
The Polish exhibition in Riga and the Tatvian one in Warsaw were events impor-
tant not merely in their artistic dimension, but also in the diplomatic context, sińce
the political interest of both parties reąuired them to manifest their good relations
and co-operation. The display of Polish art at the beginning of 1934 was to serve (and
it did) as proof of good relations between Poland and Latvia. A stronger correlation
of art and diplomacy was witnessed with the organisation of the Tatvian exhibition
in Warsaw. It took place several days after the return visit of the Minister of Foreign
Affairs Vilhelms Munters following the visit Minister Beck had paid to Tatvia in July
1934. Both displays reflected faces of the nations in art and culture, which became the
closest neighbours in the new post-1918 geopolitical order.
300
Konstantynów
Polish-Latyian Artistic Contacts in the 1930s: Exhibitions of Polish Art
in Riga (1934) and of Latvian Art in Warsaw (1936)
Artistic contacts between Poland and Latvia in the inter-war period consisted
mainly of hosting each other s exhibitions. The first show of Polish art in Riga was
a travelling display of graphic art (February 1924). In November of that year, an exhi-
bition prepared by ‘Blok’ Group members together with Avant-garde members of the
Riga Artists’ Group (Rigas makslinieku grupa) was organised. It aroused great public
interest, with the works by Polish artists being extensively commented on by Latvian
reviewers.
The next exhibition took place just ten years later, i.e. in January 1934. Prepared by the
Society for the Promotion of Polish Art among Foreigners, it was the largest exhibition
of contemporary Polish art in Latvia in the inter-war period. Given its very official char-
acter, it attracted a lot of attention from the Tatvian press. The majority of publications,
however, were merely of an informative naturę, with only a few journalists attempting
to formulate their own opinions on the artistic output of the revived Poles. With an
overall positive assessment of Polish contemporary art, reviewers mainly exposed its dis-
tinctive nationaf character, with only one voice claiming that Polish art, despite its great
creative potential, had hardly gone beyond imitating ‘Paris models’.
In return for the Polish 1934 exhibition, a display of Tatvian art was launched in War-
saw in March 1936. Organised by the Latvian-Polish Association, it also enjoyed the sup-
port of the Warsaw-based Latvian diplomatic mission. Similarly to the Polish exhibition
in Riga, the Tatvian one was given an appropriate political setting. The display received an
enthusiastic welcome both in Warsaw and in Cracow where it was later transferred. Both
reviewers and the public were astounded by what they could see, additionally enhanced
by the awareness that Tatvian art was rooted merely in the mid-19th century, while its
actual development could be dated back only to its establishment as an independent State.
Contrary to the voices of Tatvian reviewers on the exhibition of Polish art, which except
for some did not exceed ‘diplomatic complementing’, Polish critics looked closely and
attentively at the Tatvian display, paying particular attention first of all to those issues
which they obseryed also in Polish art, e.g. the position versus European art, search for
the nations own ethnic artistic expression, or the ąuestion of ‘new realism’.
The Polish exhibition in Riga and the Tatvian one in Warsaw were events impor-
tant not merely in their artistic dimension, but also in the diplomatic context, sińce
the political interest of both parties reąuired them to manifest their good relations
and co-operation. The display of Polish art at the beginning of 1934 was to serve (and
it did) as proof of good relations between Poland and Latvia. A stronger correlation
of art and diplomacy was witnessed with the organisation of the Tatvian exhibition
in Warsaw. It took place several days after the return visit of the Minister of Foreign
Affairs Vilhelms Munters following the visit Minister Beck had paid to Tatvia in July
1934. Both displays reflected faces of the nations in art and culture, which became the
closest neighbours in the new post-1918 geopolitical order.
300