Ludolfas Libertas (1895–1959). The Mesmerizing Splendor of Art Deco

On 12 June, at 5:30 p.m., the Lithuanian Theater, Music, and Cinema Museum will host the opening of the exhibition “Ludolfas Libertas (1895–1959). The Mesmerizing Splendor of Art Deco.”. This year marks the 100th anniversary of the art deco style. This decorative art style and design movement combined ancient influences with a futuristic vision. It was in Latvia that the art deco style took root most deeply, compared to other Baltic countries.

Ludolfas Libertas is one of the most prominent representatives of the Art Deco style in Latvia. The third and fourth decades of the 20th century at the Latvian National Opera were the era of set designer Libertas. The artist also worked at the State Theater in Kaunas. Libertas dictated trends, influenced his colleagues, and was the center of attention for critics and audiences alike. His performances left no one indifferent: many admired and applauded the set design, while others criticized it as overly conventional, colorful, and excessively decorative.

Nevertheless, contemporary Latvian society remembers him as a painter and graphic artist. Lithuanian theater, music, and cinema art critics Živilė Ambrasaitė-Gailiešienė and Aušra Endriukaitienė visited Riga, where they researched and systematized the artist’s creative legacy related to his work at the Kaunas State Musical Theatre , and later prepared exhibits for an exhibition.

In the 1940s, like many Latvian artists of the time, he took an active interest in antiquity, freely fantasizing about historical themes and images from the past. Many of Libertas’ cityscapes essentially reflect his work in the theatre—he often painted various lighting effects and night streets. In terms of colour and composition, these works are somewhat reminiscent of theatre sets.

The artist’s collection, stored at the Lithuanian Theater, Music, and Cinema Museum, consists of over 300 exhibits. Among them are two original theatrical costumes designed by Liberto and their details, intended for Giuseppe Verdi’s opera “Aida,” staged at the State Theater in Kaunas in 1926. These costumes are particularly important because they were worn by soloist Kipras Petrauskas, who sang the role of Radames in the aforementioned opera. These costumes and numerous set design sketches will be on display at this exhibition.

Most of the works on display are being shown publicly for the first time in Lithuania. The Latvian National Museum of Art is hosting an exhibition entitled “Ludolfas Libertas (1895–1959). The Mesmerizing Art Deco Splendor” was on display from 30 November 2024 to 16 March 2025, and this summer it will be available for viewing in Lithuania.

Libertas’ biography is similar to that of other Latvian artists of his generation: he was born in the provinces, began his art studies in Riga, continued them in Russia (Moscow and Kazan), and was sent to the front during World War I. In the 1930s and 1940s, he was actively working in his homeland and regularly participated in exhibitions abroad. At the end of World War II, he was forced to emigrate and spend the rest of his life in the United States. He was one of the few Latvian artists who managed to hold solo exhibitions in Paris (1927), Brussels (1929), Berlin (1930, 1938), Stockholm (1938), and Copenhagen (1938). Libertas also participated in international scenography exhibitions, where his works often won awards.

This exhibition is the result of collaboration between the curators of the project “Research into the Work of Ludolfas Libertas.” The Lithuanian Theater, Music, and Cinema Museum began collaborating with the Latvian National Museum of Art in 2022. The exhibition will be open at the Lithuanian Theater, Music, and Cinema Museum until 28 September.

Exhibition team: curator Natalija Jevsejeva, coordinator Aušra Endriukaitienė, architect Ieva Šimkonytė, graphic design – Lina Lingienė.

The exhibition features works from the Latvian National Museum of Art, the Lithuanian Theater, Music, and Cinema Museum, the Latvian National Museum of Literature and Music, the Gulbene Regional History and Art Museum, the Latvian National Opera, the Lithuanian Archive of Literature and Art, the Zuzan Collection, and other private collections.

Exhibition sponsor: Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Lithuania.