Kārlis Padegs

A page for the dandy expressionist artist Kārlis Padegs.

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"The Last Supper (The Song About Bread (?))" from "The Book for the Poor", 1933 or 1934.

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"Buy white roses, sir!" 1933 or 1934. From series "The Book for the Poor".

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"Don't go!" 1930. From the series "Red Laughter".

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"Derby Race in Askota (?) (Horse Race), 1935.

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"Father and Son" 1932

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Catalogue of Kārlis Padegs' and Valdis Kalnroze's* art exhibition "Under the Lime Trees", 1934.

*then Rozenbergs, later swapped for a local equivalent of the German name. 

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People at Kārlis Padegs' and Valdis Klalnroze's first exhibition "Under The Lime Trees" in Vērmanes Garden, 1934. The artwork was mostly by Padegs, who exhibited both paintings and drawings. Both artists supervised the exhibition themselves, asking people for the small entrance fee of 20 or 30 santīmi (~UK cents). They had a tent where to bring artwork in case of rain.

Once when there were less visitors, Kārlis began to slowly draw a new poster to catch people's attention - a girl sitting on a knife. An observant policeman noticed this, and asked to remove the drawing immediately. Padegs calmly replied if he had a document that would allow him to make such an order. No. While the policeman went to fetch it, many people had gathered.

Nevertheless this exhibition earned highly mixed reviews.

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Friends and colleagues, artists Valdis Kalnroze and Kārlis Padegs, in Kalnroze's studio,1934. A photo from newspaper "Dienas Lapas" (Day's Pages) publication.

Together they held their first exhibition after leaving Art Academy, which took place in a public garden. In the newspaper advertisement they both introduced their artistic views:

Valdis Kalnroze: "Latvian art is still in child's diapers, we can't talk about national art, because our teachers are influenced by foreign schools"

While Kārlis Padegs wrote: "Art is not a reproduction of the existing, but every artist's duty to find harmony between himself and his creative spirit, looking for a fulfillment, an expression of his "self". He must try to understand the pulse of the current age. The face of this age is the starting point, to show the colours of life's shadows, which will never be too dark for it, for depicting war, unemployment and the ultramodern life of cabaret."

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"Opera at Night" 1932 - 1933

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"Beach View of Jūrmala" around 1933.

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Dancing on a catamaran in Jūrmala, around 1933. From left - Voldemārs Griķis (?), Kārlis Padegs, Hanele (Elvīra Mituse) and Jānis Tīdemanis. 

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Kārlis Padegs and a shop window advert for Jūlijs Kreicbergs' photo salon, 1930s.

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"Portraitists". From left - Ernests Miķelis, Fricis Zandbergs, Kārlis Padegs, Kārlis Danne, Oļģerts Jaunarājs and an unknown person. Around 1930. 

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Padegs in the yard of "Jaunkaņepēni" (his family home), late 1920s or early 1930s.

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Studies at Jaunkaņepēni, late 1920s or early 1930s.

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Kārlis Padegs, photographed by Henrihs Bauers, probably in his personal photo salon,1939 or 1940. The photographer took Padegs' last portraits, when the illness was already impossible to hide.

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Kārlis Padegs, photographed by Henrihs Bauers. 1939 or 1940.