Wreath Paper, 1920s, Lithograph

Wreath. Paper, lithograph, 29x24 cm Apsitis Aleksandrs (1880. 06. 04. Riga – 1943. 19. 09. Germany) – painter, graphic artist. 1894. – His family gone to St. Petersburg and in this time to his made copies from good known artists. (1898. – 1999.) – he learned at the art Studio of L. Dmitriev – Kavkazski. He is best known as a book and journals graphic (his pseudonyms were Aspids, A. Petrovs, Čūska, Skits, Oseņevs and others). In this time living at St. Petersburg and Moscow he cooperated with journals «Родина», «Нива», «Звезда» (1902. – 1906.), and also with book publishes I. Sitina, A. Stupina and P. Soikina. He illustrated a Russian classic writer’s books (A.Chechov, I. Turgenev, M. Gorky, M. Saltikov - Scedrin and others). 1912. – Illustrated the jubilee edition to L. Tolstoy „War and Peace”; 1913. – Illustrating to first Russian’s children’s encyclopedia. Apsitis is one from creators of the Soviet political posters and his principles used much from Russian artists. After revolution of October he started drawing agitation posters (approximately 50 posters). 1921. – He returned in Latvia and worked at book art designee (publications at the journals „Jaunā nedēļa”, „Atpūta”, „Ilustrēts žurnāls”, „Tautas žurnāls visiem”). He cooperated with publish of A. Jensen’s, illustrated the book series „Jaunības bibliotēka”, and also made designee to books (“Tūkstots un viena nakts”, 1924. – 1929.; J. Janshevska „Dzimtene”, 1925; Aspazijas „Trejkrāsaina saule lec”. In this time also painted big figurative compositions - „The fight to Durbe 1260. 17 July”. He made also applied graphic (posters, congratulations cards, sweet wrappers to factory V. Kuze). His creation is oriented to the taste of public, realistic with Jugend style feature.