Biruta Baumane (6 June 1922 – 21 January 2017) was a Latvian figurative painter, one of the most notable of her generation of 20th century artists who developed the "harsh style" as a variety of Socialist realism that dominated in the late 1950s and 1960s in Latvian art. She is best known for her figural scenes, still lifes, portraits and women nudes. She was an honorary member of the

Latvian Academy of Sciences The Latvian Academy of Sciences (, ) is the official science academy of Latvia and is an association of the country's foremost scientists. The academy was founded as the ''Latvian SSR Academy of Sciences'' (). It is located in Riga. The curren ...

and Artists’ Union of Latvia.

Biography

The daughter of teachers Fricis and Lūcija, she was born Biruta Frīdberga on 6 June 1922 in Kalnamuiža,

Tērvete parish Tērvete Parish () is an administrative unit of Dobele Municipality in the Semigallia region of Latvia. At the beginning of 2014, the population of the parish was 2009. The administrative center is Zelmeņi village. Towns, villages and settlem ...

Latvia Latvia, officially the Republic of Latvia, is a country in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is one of the three Baltic states, along with Estonia to the north and Lithuania to the south. It borders Russia to the east and Belarus to t ...

. She had her first encounter with art in Romans Suta’s studio where she studied from 1940–1941. From 1941–1948 she was a student at the Department of Painting of the

Art Academy of Latvia The Art Academy of Latvia () 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 the National Museum of Art. In aut ...

. In 1942, parallel to her studies at the Academy, she entered the Faculty of Philosophy at the

University of Latvia University of Latvia (, shortened ''LU'') is a public research university located in Riga, Latvia. The university was established in 1919. History The University of Latvia, initially named as the Higher School of Latvia () was founded on Se ...

, but the department was closed down and she moved to the Faculty of Philology in 1944. However, she didn’t succeed in the university final exams. In 1948 she graduated from the

painting department with the graduating thesis piece, entitled ''Examinations'', under the guidance of professor Jānis Liepiņš. Among her professors were also ,

Vilhelms Purvītis Vilhelms Purvītis (3 March 1872 – 14 January 1945) was a landscape painter and educator who founded the Latvian Academy of Art and was its rector from 1919 to 1934. Biography Vilhems Purvītis was born in Zaube Parish (now Cēsis Munici ...

and . In 1951 she married Latvian sculptor

Kārlis Baumanis Kārlis Baumanis (11 May 1835 – 10 January 1905), better known as Baumaņu Kārlis, was an ethnic Latvian composer in the Russian Empire. He is the author of the lyrics and music of ''Dievs, svētī Latviju! '' (“God bless Latvia!”), the n ...

, with whom she had a daughter Laine Kainaize, also painter. Biruta Baumane worked as

Riga Riga ( ) is the capital, Primate city, primate, and List of cities and towns in Latvia, largest city of Latvia. Home to 591,882 inhabitants (as of 2025), the city accounts for a third of Latvia's total population. The population of Riga Planni ...

No. 21 School drawing teacher from 1949–1958. From 1959 she was an Artists’ Union of Latvia member. She was given the honorary title of People's Artist of the Latvian SSR (1986) and elected honorary member of the

(1994). She was also a lifelong recipient of the State Cultural Foundation Stipend, received the Baltic Assembly award (2002) and the Republic of Latvia

Order of the Three Stars Order of the Three Stars () is the highest civilian order awarded for meritorious service to Latvia. It was established in 1924 in remembrance of the founding of Latvia. Its motto is ''Per aspera ad astra'', meaning "Through hardships towards the ...

(2008) for her creative work and professional achievements. Baumane died on 21 January 2017 at the age of 94, buried at the

Riga Forest Cemetery Forest Cemetery () is an large cemetery in the northwestern part of Riga, the capital of Latvia, between the neighbourhoods of Mežaparks and Čiekurkalns. Formally, the cemetery is divided between 1st Forest Cemetery, with entrance from Aizsau ...

Exhibitions

Since 1956, Biruta Baumane has held more than 19 solo exhibitions in Latvia,

Moscow Moscow is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Russia by population, largest city of Russia, standing on the Moskva (river), Moskva River in Central Russia. It has a population estimated at over 13 million residents with ...

Kaunas Kaunas (; ) is the second-largest city in Lithuania after Vilnius, the fourth largest List of cities in the Baltic states by population, city in the Baltic States and an important centre of Lithuanian economic, academic, and cultural life. Kaun ...

Ottawa Ottawa is the capital city of Canada. It is located in the southern Ontario, southern portion of the province of Ontario, at the confluence of the Ottawa River and the Rideau River. Ottawa borders Gatineau, Gatineau, Quebec, and forms the cor ...

Algiers Algiers is the capital city of Algeria as well as the capital of the Algiers Province; it extends over many Communes of Algeria, communes without having its own separate governing body. With 2,988,145 residents in 2008Census 14 April 2008: Offi ...

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

and her works have been featured in a number of group exhibits. Her first solo exhibition took place at the Artists’ House in Riga in 1966, but she was already noticed in the First Exhibition of Young Artists of the Latvian SSR in 1956, where the new form of Socialist realism, known as the "harsh style", for the first time in public, was presented by her generation of artists including Edgars Iltners,

Indulis Zariņš Indulis is a Latvian masculine given name, borne by more than 1,000 men in Latvia. Its nameday is celebrated on 2 January. The name has two possible derivations, one from a Baltic word meaning "gift", and the other as a diminutive of Indriķis, ...

Džemma Skulme Džemma Lija Skulme (20 September 1925 – 9 November 2019) was a Latvian artist and modernist painter. Džemma Skulme's personality played a paramount role in Latvian art development and social life of Latvia in the second half of the 20th centu ...

, Rita Valnere,

Boriss Berziņš Boriss Berziņš (7 October 1930, Riga – 11 February 2002, Riga) was a Soviet and Latvian artist, painter, graphic artist and teacher. People's Artist of the Latvian SSR (1989), Corresponding Member of the USSR Academy of Arts (1988). From 194 ...

, Ojārs Ābols. Her paintings are now in the

Latvian National Museum of Art The Latvian National Museum of Art () is an art museum in Riga, Latvia. It contains the largest collection of national art in Latvia. The museum houses more than 65,000 works of art reflecting the development of professional art in the Baltic a ...

, Riga Art Foundation collection,

Tretyakov Gallery The State Tretyakov Gallery (; abbreviated ГТГ, ''GTG'') is an art gallery in Moscow, Russia, which is considered the foremost depository of Russian fine art in the world. The gallery's history starts in 1856 when the Muscovite merchant Pavel ...

, Moscow Art Fund and Moscow Artists' Union,

National Museum, Poznań National may refer to: Common uses * Nation or country ** Nationality – a ''national'' is a person who is subject to a nation, regardless of whether the person has full rights as a citizen Places in the United States * National, Maryland, ce ...

, as well as in private collections and galleries around the world.

References

External links

CV

Artworks by Biruta Baumane
{{DEFAULTSORT:Baumane, Biruta 1922 births 2017 deaths People from Dobele Municipality 20th-century Latvian painters 21st-century Latvian painters Burials at Forest Cemetery, Riga 20th-century Latvian women painters 21st-century Latvian women painters Art Academy of Latvia alumni