See this theme in hall 12
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At the end of the 19th century in Europe, a new art style emerged, encompassing all forms of art. This was Art Nouveau. Its appearance coincided with a period of rapid development, when Latvia was enjoying an economic boom. Cities in Latvia, particularly Riga, experienced a boom in housing and factory construction. Riga’s population increased several times over, reaching 600 000 by 1913. In the years 1894–1899, an average of 280 houses were built every year, a figure that grew to 328 in the years 1908–1913.
In Latvia, Art Nouveau found its clearest expression in architecture, applied and fine art. A distinctive phenomenon was the National Romantic style. Apartment buildings several stories high were built in Riga, their fronts richly ornamented and decked out with sculptural forms. Art Nouveau buildings appeared in other Latvian towns and cities too.
In bourgeois circles, conservative tastes favoured the continuation of the tradition of Historicism in apartment interiors. Widespread at the beginning of the 20th century was the so-called “Napoleonic suite” of furniture, reflecting features of the Empire style: a sofa, two large and six smaller chairs, and a table.
Gradually, both imported and locally-made furniture, lighting, everyday utensils, porcelain and glassware adorned with the characteristic curvaceous and undulating forms and floral motifs of Art Nouveau appeared in the interior furnishings of well-to-do townspeople. More geometric ornamentation and form is a feature of late Art Nouveau.
Art Nouveau was also expressed in textiles, dress and accessories, in jewellery, in the design of books and periodicals and in the decoration of a wide variety of everyday items. The idea was to create an aesthetically saturated space and milieu, so that people would inhabit a harmonious world replete with art.
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