“I am a 21st century artist!” Georgs Šenbergs (1915–1989) once said. With his offbeat worldview and rare colourist talent, he was one of Latvia’s most unusual painters.
Šenbergs is a legend of Latvian art. There is hardly any other artist who would devote his life to art so wholeheartedly.
Zigurds Konstants
„Making no effort at self-promotion, during his lifetime Šenbergs was mostly known within a narrow circle of local artists and art experts. In fact, he seemed to recoil from recognition, living by the principle: Don’t become popular! It might get in the way of the Work. For precisely this reason, his painting was never influenced by the trends of the day, criticism or what others thought. Šenbergs maintained his creative freedom unblemished throughout the bleak years of Socialist Realism. This is of particular interest, as it is a rare phenomenon in our recent art history,” says author.
The basic part of the monograph consists of a selection of the artist’s works including a number of so far unknown ones from museum and private collections; included as illustrations are also works that are preserved only as reproductions in periodicals and photographs. Zigurds Konstants’ text is supplemented by documentary photos and pages from Šenbergs’ “Thought Captures” – a special form of the artist’s creative expression.
The monograph’s annex section includes: 1) Catalogue: a scientific description of Georgs Šenbergs’ works; 2) Important biographical data for Georgs Šenbergs; 3) Exhibitions; 4) Bibliography; 5) important biographical data for Žanis Šenbergs; 6) Catalogue: a scientific description of Žanis Šenbergs’ works; 7) List of persons.
Art historian Zigurds Konstants is the author of more than 300 research articles and 12 books. Since 1998 he is a scientist emeritus, working in the sphere of art research.