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 ...
.
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 ...
.
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-eigh ...
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 b ...
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 (FRG),, is a country in Central Europe. It is the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany lies between the Baltic and North Sea to the north and the Alps to the sou ...
, he returned to
Riga
Riga (; lv, Rīga , liv, Rīgõ) is the capital and largest city of Latvia and is home to 605,802 inhabitants which is a third of Latvia's population. The city lies on the Gulf of Riga at the mouth of the Daugava river where it meets the B ...
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 and the
Freedom Monument in Riga.
He died in
Inčukalns
Inčukalns is a village in Sigulda Municipality, Latvia
Latvia ( or ; lv, Latvija ; ltg, Latveja; liv, Leţmō), officially the Republic of Latvia ( lv, Latvijas Republika, links=no, ltg, Latvejas Republika, links=no, liv, Leţ ...
,
Latvia
Latvia ( or ; lv, Latvija ; ltg, Latveja; liv, Leţmō), officially the Republic of Latvia ( lv, Latvijas Republika, links=no, ltg, Latvejas Republika, links=no, liv, Leţmō Vabāmō, links=no), is a country in the Baltic region of ...
.
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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