See this theme in halls A – C
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A large proportion of church furnishings in Latvia were destroyed in riots during the Reformation, in the first half of the 16th century. As a result, few sculptural works are preserved from the Gothic Age.
Early Gothic sculptures of the Virgin Mary and the Christ Child, St Anne (?) and a bishop (c. 1320), from the church of Ruhnu Saar, are the oldest wooden sculptures in Latvia. St Anne and the Virgin Mary are depicted in majestic poses, sitting on thrones. A characteristic stylistic feature is the pronounced V-shape in the folds of the long dress between the knees, while the smiles characteristic of Gothic Madonnas are just visible on their faces.
One of the most outstanding Early Gothic sculptures, characterising local sculptural traditions, is the Cross of Triumph from the Church of St James (c. 1380). The carving of the naked body of Christ still shows a degree of schematism. The figure of Christ on the Cross expresses calm, even detachment, in the face of suffering and a cruel death. Also of local origin is the work “Pieta” (c. 1400). Showing the influence of the “beautiful Madonna style”, the Virgin Mary is shown as a young and beautiful woman with a calm expression, while the body of Christ, in line with the iconographic traditions of the second half of the 14th century, is markedly reduced in size.
Some 15th century sculptures, St George and three currently unidentifiable figures, show the influence of the so-called “soft style”. Emotionally compelling is a 16th century figure of Christ on the Cross, from Sabile Church. Standing apart in terms of the realistic depiction of form and weightier proportions are wooden sculptures of unknown origin, regarded as representing Mark the Evangelist (second half of the 15th century), the Virgin Mary and St Andrew (early 16th century). A professionally accomplished example of Gothic sculpture is a sandstone Pieta (early 15th century), one of the most beautiful and lyrical works of Gothic art in Latvia.
The period from the final quarter of the 16th to the mid-17th century, when Latvia was influenced by the so-called Northern Renaissance and by the Mannerist style, is one of the most interesting periods in Latvian art history in terms of stylistic influences. In Mannerist sculpture, human figures were depicted in an unusual way: in an unstable pose, with curving and elongated body proportions – known as the figura serpentinata. A woodcarving from Zlçkas Church (1652), shows favourite features of Mannerist ornamental design: earlobes and decorative masks.
Decorative woodcarving flourished during the Baroque Age in the Duchy of Courland and Semigallia, where conditions were more favourable for the development of art. Common stylistic features show than several woodcarving workshops existed. The best-known of these is the Ventspils workshop, represented by the sculptures of Johann Mertenss: a figure of Christ Resurrected (early 18th cent.) and an angel, from Salgale Church (c. 1720).
Artistic diversity was enriched by woodcarvings created in the crafts milieu. These sculptures are the work of craftsmen, whose skills were not adequate for sculpture. This is demonstrated by two allegories of virtues from the altarpiece of Dundaga Church (1766).
Latvia’s oldest examples of sacred painting are preserved from the late 16th and 17th centuries. An anonymous painting “The Last Judgement” (late 17th century) comes from the upper section of the folding altarpiece of Renda Church. An altar door with a portrait of Alexander von Hoenastenberg–Wigandt (1614) is one of Latvia’s oldest portrait paintings.
In the middle and second half of the 18th century, the Rococo style appeared in the decorative woodcarving of church interiors. Connected with the sculptor Joseph Slawitzek, or at least with his workshop, are the altar sculptures of Piltene Church (1770s?). Very expressive are the poses of these two allegories of virtues, and especially their faces, with great, widely-spaced eyes and high, arched eyebrows.
Woodcarvings from the Holy Spirit Church in Bauska – Moses, John the Baptist, allegories of Christian virtues and angels adorned a Baroque altar from 1699. The ponderous character of the figures and the primitive workmanship suggest that the artist was a local craftsman.
Sculptures from Subate Church (late 17th– early 18th century) and five 18th century sculptures, which may come from Kaldabruòa Church – figures of angels in prayer, a smaller angel, along with figures of the Virgin Mary and St John, belong to the range of influences of the Subate woodcarving workshop. Carved with no less feeling are figures from Gârsene Church (1793). Figures of the apostles retain the characteristic poses and dress of Baroque sculpture, but the woodcarver has depicted robust, ponderous peasant types, and even the faces of the angels have lost their pious expression.
Apart from Riga, no major centres of sculpture emerged in Livland. Three angel figures from the altar of the Riga Church of St James, dating from around 1680, are the work of sculptor Christoph Mittelhausen.
Crucifixes with a carved wooden figure of Christ represent a distinctive feature the Latgale cultural landscape. These were erected at roadsides near farms, by the village street, at the centre of the cemetery opposite the gate and in churchyards. The earliest crucifixes date from around the turn of the 19th century, but the majority of roadside crucifixes were created in the second half of the 19th and the early part of the 20th century.
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