Biography
Born on March 8, 1927, in Riga. He started his studies at Stopiņi Primary School.[1] The artist started to focus on art already before the age of 20 and begun his studies at the Riga Secondary School of Arts and Crafts while studying painting from Jēkabs Bīne in Leo Svemps’ studio.[2] Harijs Veldre was instantly admitted to the Art Academy of Latvia second course[3] and continued to practice with great Latvian painters such as Ģederts Elias and Kārlis Miesnieks.[4]
Veldre has been participating in exhibitions since 1947,[5] although he graduated only in 1949, representing his diploma work “Street Pavers” (supervisor Ģederts Elias).[6] In the same year he joined the Latvian Artists’ Union.[7]
In the 1950s and 1960s he worked as a teacher at Janis Rozentāls Art School of Riga.[8]
The artist’s workshop was located in Riga, Grīvas Street, and his summer house in Apšuciems.[9]
In 1967, the first solo exhibition of Veldre was organized in Riga, which introduced many other magnificent solo exhibitions throughout Latvia until the end of his life in 1999. His paintings have been exhibited both in Europe (Great Britain, Finland, the Netherlands, Belgium, etc.) and elsewhere in the world, for example, Japan, in the exhibition of works by Soviet artists, the United States and Canada.[10] The artist has participated in more than 170 exhibitions.[11]
Harijs Veldre’s glorious life ends in 1999.
Artistic Description
Veldre is a realistic painter and one of Latvia’s best-known landscape painters – even called the master of the Latvian landscape, who throughout his life has been able to find something worth capturing in the surroundings.[12] Much attention is paid to Latvia’s natural landscapes, but urban landscapes, such as St. Petersburg (1969) and Old Riga (1968)[13] can also be found in his paintings. He mainly devoted himself to painting in the plain-air.
In the initial stage of his creative work, the artist painted in an impressionistic manner, depicting the capture of the natural moment with light brush strokes. There is a love and deep admiration for the always-changing nature of the homeland in the artist’s technique. The artist has depicted the picturesque small towns, rivers and Latvian trees in all seasons, adapting to the characteristic colour schemes.[14] The artist has travelled around Latvia and painted the lakes of Latgale, the hills of Vidzeme and the beaches of Kurzeme. Regardless of the season and place, the artist’s palette is deep and saturated, but not bright and loud.[15] Calmness and detail characterize the artist’s work. The artist avoids bright colours, preferring tonalities.
The later work of the artist becomes stronger and sharper. The wide and plastically expressive drawing includes the forms and scope of true nature. Also, still-life can be found, especially summer and autumn harvest found in Latvia – flowers, apples. Later on, works become more expressive and decorative – decorativeness characterizes some of Veldre’s paintings. With the help of the lights and shadows, the plastic richness of natural forms and the drama of the landscape are achieved.[16]
Interesting Facts
Veldre has been close to music since he was a child, because, as he himself admitted, he was painting the motifs he had heard in music. He played alto at school. The musicality was inherited by his son Leons Veldre, who is a notable Latvian cell player.[17]
At the beginning, the artist painted in the manner of social realism, depicting workers, fishermen, collective farms. It was only after Stalin’s death that he turned to his passion, the landscape.[18]
The artist liked to depict cloudy days the most when the sky has a variety of colours and shapes.[19]
Veldre was born on March 8, at the very beginning of spring, which could be the reason for his love for the spring landscape.[20] The spring landscapes painted by the artist are almost equal to the paintings of Purvītis, because they are also technically processed almost to perfection.[21]
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[1] Dzimtenes Balss Nr. 10, 1987.
[2] Laiks Nr. 28, 2002.
[3] Rīgas Balss Nr. 62, 1987.
[4] Padomju Venta (Ventspils) Nr. 163, 1972.
[5] Rīgas Balss Nr. 270, 1968.
[6] Rīgas Balss Nr. 62, 1987.
[7] Rīgas Balss Nr. 62, 1987.
[8] Padomju Venta (Ventspils) Nr. 163, 1972.
[9] Dzimtenes Balss Nr. 10, 1987.
[10] Rīgas Balss Nr. 62, 1987.
[11] Karogs Nr. 3, 1987.
[12] Padomju Venta (Ventspils) Nr. 163, 1972.
[13] Harija Veldres gleznu izstāde. Katalogs. – Rīga: Latvijas PSR Mākslinieku savienība, Latvijas PSR Mākslas fonds, 1971.
[14] Liesma (Valmiera) Nr. 41, 1987.
[15] Rīgas Balss Nr. 62, 1987.
[16] Karogs Nr. 3, 1987.
[17] Karogs Nr. 3, 1987.
[18] Laiks Nr. 28, 2002.
[19] Padomju Venta (Ventspils) Nr. 163, 1972.
[20] Dzimtenes Balss Nr. 10, 1987.
[21] Laiks Nr. 28, 2002.
