Kārlis Zāle (28 October 1888 – 19 February 1942) was a
Latvian sculptor
Sculpture is the branch of the visual arts that operates in three dimensions. Sculpture is the three-dimensional art work which is physically presented in the dimensions of height, width and depth. It is one of the plastic arts. Durable sc ...
.
Zāle was born in
Mažeikiai
Mažeikiai (; Samogitian: ''Mažeikē''; lv, Mažeiķi) is a city in northwestern Lithuania, on the Venta River. It has a population of around 43,547, making it the eighth largest city in Lithuania. The city is the administrative center of M ...
, but grew up in
Liepāja
Liepāja (; liv, Līepõ; see other names) is a state city in western Latvia, located on the Baltic Sea. It is the largest-city in the Kurzeme Region and the third-largest city in the country after Riga and Daugavpils. It is an important ice-f ...
.
After training in
Russia
Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world, with its internationally recognised territory covering , and encompassing one-eig ...
at the
Kazan Art School
The Kazan Art School is a state autonomous education institution in Kazan, Republic of Tatarstan. It's one of the oldest art schools in Russia, with a continuous history of more than 100 years.
History
The school was founded in 1895 as a bra ...
under
Alexander Matveyev
Alexander Terentyevich Matveev (Russian: Александр Терентьевич Матвеев; 25 August 1878 – 22 October 1960) was one of the leading Russian sculptors of his generation, working in a simple, vigorous, modern classical st ...
and in
Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
, he returned to
Riga in 1923, where he both worked in sculpture and taught it. He is best known for his monumental sculptures, including the massive main gates at
Brothers' Cemetery
Brothers' Cemetery or Cemetery of the Brethren ( lv, Brāļu Kapi), also sometimes referred to in English as the Common Graves or simply as the Military Cemetery, is a military cemetery and national monument in Riga, capital of Latvia.
The ce ...
and the
Freedom Monument
The Freedom Monument ( lv, Brīvības piemineklis, ) is located in Riga, Latvia, honouring soldiers killed during the Latvian War of Independence (1918–1920). It is considered an important symbol of the freedom, independence, and sovereignty ...
in Riga.
He died in
Inčukalns
Inčukalns is a village in Sigulda Municipality
Sigulda Municipality ( lv, Siguldas novads) is a municipality in Vidzeme, Latvia. The municipality was formed in 2003 by merging Sigulda town, Sigulda Parish and More Parish. In 2009 it absorb ...
,
Latvia.
Gallery
File:Brīvības piemineklis-Latvija.png, Freedom Monument, Riga
File:Sudrabkalniņš 003.jpg, Detail, Monument to the Soldiers of the 6th Infantry Regiment, Sudrabkalniņš (Silver Hill), Riga
File:Brothers Cemetery Riga 04.jpg, Main gate, Brothers' Cemetery (Riga)
File:Freedom Monument close-up.jpg, ''Liberty'' atop the Freedom Monument
References
;Footnotes
;Sources
*Apsitis, V., 1982 (3ed edn, 1993). ''Latvian Art in 1915–1940'' (comp. I. Burane). Stockholm: Latvian State Academy of Arts.
External links
Classic.Culture.lv: Short Biography"Brīvības Piemineklis" (Freedom Monument), published by the Freedom Monument Committee, 1935(in Latvian, partially translated)
1888 births
1942 deaths
People from Mažeikiai
People from Telshevsky Uyezd
Latvian sculptors
20th-century Latvian artists
20th-century sculptors
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