Artwork

Purvitis Vilhelms

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Vilhelms Purvitis (1872.3.III – 1945.14.I)

Vilhelms Purvitis is very famous and favourite Latvian landscape painter, he is founder of landscape painting school in Latvia, artist founded Latvia Art academy and was it’s first rector, he also was director of Art museum of Riga, and organized exhibitions abroad.

V. Purvitis graduated Art academy of St Petersburg (1897), for diploma work “Last rays” he got tonic artist degree, big gold medal and scholarship for journey abroad.

In 1898 artist went to Paris and spent in Europe five month.
In 1899 he returned to Riga.

V. Purvitis was a member of artists group “Rukis” (1892 – 1897), artists’ society “Mir iskusstva” (1898 – 1903). He worked in art promotional society “Kunstverein” (1899 – 1911). Artist also was a member of Riga Latvian society (1912 – 1940), Rotari club (1920 – 1940). In 1925 he was elected as an honorary member of Independent artist unity.

Artist offered painting private lessons in Riga (1899 – 1906).
In 1906 he moved to Revel (Tallinn), where artist lived and worked till 1909.
In 1909 Purvitis traveled in Europe. At the same year he was endorsed as a director of Riga city school of art (he directed school till 1915).
In 1913 artist became academician of St Petersburg Art academy.
In 1915 he went to Petrograd, after that to Finland, Sweden and in 1917 to the Norway, where he spent 11 months in Lillehammer sanatorium.
In 1918 Purvitis returned to Riga.
In 1919 artist was nominative as a director of Riga city museum of art. In 1919 he was endorsed as a director of Latvia Art academy and became a supernumerary professor of Latvia University Architecture faculty. In 1921 Purvitis became regular professor of Latvia Art academy. In 1922 he was elected as a rector of Academy (worked till 1934). In 1923 artist started to direct Landscape painting studio in academy. He was elected as an honorary member of Latvia Art academy (1934).
In 1941 he became a director of Riga city museum of art at the second time.
In 1944 he emigrated through Dancig to Germany.

V. Purvitis got many prizes in Latvia and abroad.

He took part in exhibitions since 1894. His works were exhibited in Latvia, St Petersburg, Paris, Munich, Vienna, Berlin, Dresden, Tartu, Lion, Frankfurt, Hanover, Leipzig, Duseldorf, Cologne, Karl rue, Revel, Pernau, Rome, Oslo (self-exhibition, 1918), Stockholm, Warsaw, Krakow, Helsinki, Prague, Budapest, Kaunas, Copenhagen, London.