From 30 November 2024 to 16 March 2025, the Latvian National Museum of Art in Riga (Jaņa Rozentāla laukums 1) presents the exhibition Ludolfs Liberts (1895–1959). The Hypnotic Brilliance of Art Deco.
Ludolfs Liberts is one of the brightest exponents of Art Deco in Latvia and its most vivid manifestation is his stage designs. Without exaggeration it may be said that the 1920s–30s at the Latvian National Opera were the era of Liberts. Between 1924 and 1937, altogether he designed 43 and directed 12 productions. Liberts set the tone, influenced his colleagues and was at the centre of attention from critics and spectators alike. Master’s stage designs left no one indifferent: many were thrilled and applauded the set designs, others criticised and attacked him for overgeneralisation, flamboyance and excessive decorativeness.
Yet, from today’s perspective, it is clear that all of Ludolfs Liberts’ accomplishments in this field conform entirely to the style of Art Deco, which is characterised by an inclination towards geometricisation and ornamentalisation of forms, decorativeness, refined graphic qualities, a tendency to enchant and dazzle the viewer. Liberts possessed a phenomenal ability to sense current artistic trends, his sketches for stage designs and costumes show motifs favoured by the artists of Art Deco – skyscrapers, the cascading rhythms of fountains, zigzags and other geometric ornaments. Liberts turned to the heritage of non-European cultures, responded to the widespread Egyptomania and referred to the general fascination with the cinematograph, which influenced theatre and the leading directors of the time.
