Iltners Edgars Karlovich

Soviet and Latvian artist. People’s Artist of the USSR (1977). Corresponding member of the Academy of Arts of the USSR (1975). Edgar Iltners was born in the Burini village of the Dzervskaya volost of the Aizput district. He studied at the Dzervskaya six-year primary school, the 1st Liepaja Secondary School (1941-1944), Liepaja Pedagogical School (1945-1946), Liepaja Art School (1946-1948). He graduated from the Riga Art School named after R. Rosenthal (1949) and the painting department (workshop Oto Skulme) of the Latvian State Academy of Fine Arts (1956). Worked as a teacher at the Riga Art School. Ya. Rosenthal (1956-1961), teacher at the Drawing Department (1960-1973) and the Department of Painting of the Latvian State Academy of Arts (1976-1983), head of the workshop of monumental painting (since 1978). Rector (1974-1976); professor (1974). Member of the Artists’ Union of Latvia (since 1957), in 1968-1982 Chairman of the Union of Artists of the Latvian SSR and Secretary of the Union of Artists of the USSR. Member of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR (1979-1983). Honored Artist of the Latvian SSR (1963). People’s Artist of the Latvian SSR (1973). People’s Artist of the USSR (1977). Laureate of the State Prize of the Latvian SSR for the paintings “The Land Owners” 1960 and “Callous Hands” 1965. He took part in exhibitions since 1955. One of the most notable Latvian artists, representatives of the “severe style”. Most of the works are subject compositions and landscapes. In the 1960s he experimented with textural effects that were innovative for Latvian painting of those years. The most famous works: “Husbands Come Back” (1957), “Land Owners” (1960), “Callous Hands” (1962), “Riga Towers” (1965), “Immortality” (1968), “July” (1970) “Potato Field” (1974), “Installers” (1977), “Venice at Night” (1981), “Erica” ​​(1975). He died on February 9, 1983 in Riga, is buried in a forest cemetery.

Photo: Iltner Edgar postcard-reproduction “Owners of the Earth” 1960, Latvian State Art Museum

Photo: Iltner Edgar “After the competition” 1956, Novokuznetsk Art Museum

Edgar Iltner. “On the margins of Latvia” 1975

Photo: Publisher: Советский художник Series: Masters of Soviet art. Latvian artist Edgar Iltner (1925-1983) – one of the greatest masters of modern Soviet painting, 1988