Jēkabs Bīne (11 April 1895 – 24 October 1955) was a Latvian painter, stained glass artist, teacher and art critic.

Biography

Jēkabs Bīne was born in Riga in 1895 in merchant family. He studied at the Riga City Art School (1913–1915), Kharkov Art School (1915–1918) and the

Art Academy of Latvia The Art Academy of Latvia ( lv, Latvijas Mākslas akadēmija) is an institution of higher education and scientific research in art, located in Riga, Latvia. The neo-Gothic brick building is located on Krišjānis Valdemārs Street, next to t ...

(1921–1926). His graduation work from

Jānis Tilbergs Jānis Tilbergs, also known as Tillbergs or Tilberg ( lv, Jānis Roberts Tilbergs, russian: Янис Тилберг, ); ( – 7 November 1972) was a Latvian artist, Painting, painter, Sculptor (artist), sculptor, and medallist. He is most renow ...

' figurative painting class at the Art Academy was the painting ''Resurrection''. He held teaching positions throughout his life: at the Art Studio of the Latvian People University (1928–1940), Riga People University, Institute of Housekeeping in (1932–1939), at the Riga State Art of Craft School (1933–1944), at the School of the Riga society of painters (1936-1939), at the Art Academy of Latvia (1942–1944), at the Kuldiga Secondary Art School (1944–1951), and at combine "Art" (1951–1955). His first solo exhibition was held in 1917. In the 1920s he painted Christian subjects, including the altarpieces for the churches in Cesvaine (1924), (1926) and Vecsaule (1927). His focus on sacral painting developed into an interest in

Latvian mythology Latvian mythology is the collection of myths that have emerged throughout the history of Latvia, sometimes being elaborated upon by successive generations, and at other times being rejected and replaced by other explanatory narratives. These myth ...

idealism In philosophy, the term idealism identifies and describes metaphysical perspectives which assert that reality is indistinguishable and inseparable from perception and understanding; that reality is a mental construct closely connected t ...

and an ambition to connect art to folk culture and nature. He studied the symbols of Latvian ornamentation and incorporated this in his art. He became involved in

Ernests Brastiņš Ernests Brastiņš (19 March 1892 – 28 January 1942) was a Latvian artist, amateur historian, folklorist and archaeologist. He is known as the founder and driving force behind the neopagan religion Dievturība, which he started in the 1920s and ...

' neopagan movement

Dievturība Dievturība is a neopagan movement which is a modern revival of the ethnic religion of the Latvians before Christianization in the 13th century. Adherents call themselves Dievturi (singular: Dievturis), literally "Dievs' keepers", "people who l ...

and became one of its main public promoters. From 1940 and throughout the Stalinist era, this was repressed as "bourgeois art". Bīne's diaries show that he was disappointed with the direction the Soviet authorities set out for the arts, and that he viewed it as vulgarization. He did however adapt to the new regime. As part of his acceptance of a position as a stained glass specialist in 1951, he wrote a 1952 paper titled ''Ornament'' in which he condemned his previous views on Latvian ornamentation. Bīne was the father of the actress (1928–2006). He died in Riga on 24 October 1955.

Legacy

Bīne's 1931 painting ''Dievs, Māra, Laima'', depicting three gods from Latvian mythology, remains one of the most prominent examples of Dievturi iconography. A book about Bīne by the art historian Agita Gritāne was published in 2020. The same year, an exhibition of his works was held in

Kuldīga Kuldīga () (german: Goldingen) is a town in the Courland region of Latvia, in the western part of the country. It is the center of Kuldīga Municipality with a population of approximately 13,500. Kuldīga was first mentioned in 1242. It join ...

to commemorate the 125th anniversary of his birth.

Biography

Legacy

References

Further reading