Artums Ansis

In his works Ansis Artums initially focused on portraying still life and landscape in oil painting technique. It needs to be taken into account that the artist’s place of residence in the city of Tukums and its nearest neighborhood was one of the main inspirational sources. It was usually depicted in panoramic and colorful landscapes with shores of Slocene River and blooming gardens of Tukums’s neighborhood, which were full with lilacs, jasmines or chestnuts. At the beginning of his creative career in 1930’s A. Artums’s works were subdued and almost heavy in the color tones, similar to Belgian paining tradition.

The visit to Paris in 1937 left a great impression on artist’s painting encouraging the use of bright and contrasting color tones as well as the change of brush stroke technique.

Ansis Artums is one of the few artists who started his life in Riga, but very soon moved to Tukums. During World War I he and his family had to flee to Vitebsk Province as refugees. Upon returning to Latvia he graduated from Tukums Secondary School and went to Riga to study painting at The Studio of L. Liberts and K. Miesnieks. In 1927 he started his studies at the Art Academy of Latvia and graduated painting class led by V. Purvitis.  In addition to painting A. Artums also worked in the field of ceramics.  From 1932 the artist took part in exhibitions, holding solo exhibitions in Riga, Liepaja, Jurmala and Tukums. Many of his works were also exhibited abroad. A. Artums was a member of the Mukusala Group and the Union of Artists of the USSR.

Source:
1.Vilsons, Andri, Māksla un arhitektūra biogrāfijās, Rīga: Latvijas enciklopēdija, 1995.
2. Cēbere, Gundega, Tukuma muzejs nacionālo vērtību ainavā, From: Runkovska, Ināra, Tukuma muzeja gleznu kolekcija, Izlase.Katalogs, Rīga: Neputns, 2005.