The memorial collection of Gustavs Šķilters

The basic collection of the Latvian National Museum of Art includes a massive collection of items related to one of the founders of professional sculpture in Latvia, Gustavs Šķilters (1874-1954). The collection, which contains 4,757 artworks, came into the hands of the museum in 2002, when the Gustavs Šķilters Memorial Museum was closed down.

Šķilters was one of the leading masters of Art Nouveau sculpture in Latvia. The collection includes masterpieces of sculpture and applied art in this style – classical examples of Latvian Art Nouveau art. Šķilters worked in a huge variety of genres, including paintings and decorative sculpture. Alongside sculpture and applied art, he produced water colours and graphic designs. Of particular importance in the collection are 730 vignettes with delicate miniature drawings that will captivate every viewer. Šķilters also dedicated himself to stories, poetry and articles about art. The museum’s collection includes some 3,000 of his poems.