Celebrating the Legacy of Josif Elgurts: A Century of Artistic Brilliance
From January 15 to February 23,the Great Hall of the Dauderu branch of the Latvian National History Museum in Riga will host a special exhibition titled “Winter. Sarkandaugava.” This event honors the centenary of the renowned Latvian graphic artist and screen printing master,Josif Elgurts (1924–2007). Elgurts’ works, which poetically capture the serene beauty of Riga’s suburbs, offer a poignant reflection of the old wooden houses and the lives of their inhabitants.
Born on February 12, 1924, in Chisinau, bessarabia, then part of Romania, Elgurts grew up in a family of Jewish engravers. His father,Shmul-Aron Elgurt,ran a jewelry and engraving workshop in the heart of Chisinau,crafting medals,seals,and steel dies. The young Josif attended the gymnasium from 1934 to 1938 and later studied at the Chisinau Art School (1939–1941) under the guidance of Şneer Cogan (1875–1940), a prominent Romanian artist and pedagogue of Jewish origin.
World War II brought tragic upheaval to Elgurts’ life. His family was deported to a ghetto by the Nazis, and only contracting typhus and subsequent isolation saved him from the Holocaust. In 1944, following the Red Army’s occupation of Transnistria, Elgurts was freed but forced to join the soldiers. Post-war, he faced rejection from the Chisinau Art Academy due to the Soviet Union’s distrust of Jewish Holocaust survivors. In 1952, he relocated to Riga, where he enrolled in the Department of Graphics at the State Art Academy of the Latvian SSR, graduating in 1958.
Elgurts’ artistic journey was shaped by studying under Arvīdas Egles, a master of small-town landscapes, and Pēteras Upīš, a renowned graphic artist. His experimentation with techniques like lithography, linocut, etching, and monotype eventually led him to specialize in screen printing in the early 1960s. He elevated this technique to unparalleled virtuosity,inspiring a new generation of Latvian artists.
In 1964, Elgurts became a member of the Artists’ Union of Latvia. His works were showcased in exhibitions across the Soviet Union and internationally from 1959 onwards.A significant personal exhibition took place in 1984 at the House of artists in Riga. Until his death, Elgurts continued to refine the nuances and tonalities of screen printing, adding his unique technique to the craft.
Today, Elgurts’ works are treasured in the collections of the Latvian National Art Museum, the latvian National Library, and the Latvian Artists’ Union, as well as in private collections worldwide. His legacy also includes contributions to the BIArt gallery of the Baltic International Academy and the BSA art corporate collection. exhibitions honoring his memory are regularly held both in Latvia and abroad.
In 2024, art scholar and collector Jurijs Slaviks launched the commemorative project “Elgurt – 100,” supported by the Restitution Fund of the Jewish Community of Latvia. This initiative has organized exhibitions of Elgurts’ graphic works across several Latvian museums and art galleries in Riga and Bauska.
The Dauderu museum welcomes visitors from Wednesday to sunday, 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Groups are encouraged to book tickets via email to [email protected] or by calling 67392229. Admission prices are 5 euros for adults, 3 euros for students, pensioners, and group III disabled individuals, and 2 euros for schoolchildren. Family tickets cost 6 euros (1+2) and 11 euros (2+2).
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