Viktors Eglītis

Viktors Eglītis (15 April 1877 – 20 April 1945)[1] was a Latvian writer and art theorist. He was a leading figure in the Latvian decadent movement and an introducer of modernist poetics.

Viktors Eglītis
Born	15 April 1877 Sarkaņi Parish, Governorate of Livonia, Russian Empire
Died	20 April 1945 (aged 68) Riga
Nationality	Latvian
Occupation	Writer
Spouse(s)	Marija Eglīte ​ (m. 1904⁠–⁠1926)​ Hilda Vīka ​ (m. 1930⁠–⁠1945)​

Early life

After dropping out of an Orthodox Christian seminar in Vitebsk, Eglītis studied drawing in Penza and enrolled at Maria Tenisheva's art studio in Saint Petersburg. There he became acquainted with the ideas of the Russian Silver Age and several of its prominent figures.[2]

Literary career

Back in Latvia, he adapted the ideas of Russian symbolism for Latvian literature and art theory. In 1902, he used the term "decadence" to designate his writings. In various articles, he laid out his poetics which were opposed to moral schemes, abstraction and realism, and instead promoted artistic individualism.[2] He was well received by a number of young writers, who along with Eglītis wanted to refocus the language of poetry, which was dominated by well-defined lyrical forms and clear narratives, to symbols and signs that were not always easy to decipher. With this they wished to provide a sense of mystery and prophecy, and leave room for subtlety and subconscious impulses. This poetic is prominent in Eglītis' poetry collection Elēģijas (1907) and short story collection Vērtības pārvērtējot (1911). Eglītis also illustrated his own books with symbolic drawings. In addition to the enthusiasm from his followers, Eglītis' often aggressive introduction of modernist principles was also met with vocal opposition.[2]

After the outbursts of his early works, the prolific Eglītis gradually turned to a more neoclassical and realistic expression; toward the end of his career he even launched the slogan "Away with modernism!" (Latvian: Nost ar modernismu!)[2] In the 1920s he was an established and much read literary figure in Latvia, with works characterised by positivism and maximalism. From the end of the 1920s, he moved in an increasingly patriotic direction. He wrote historical fiction where he depicted the Baltic nations in opposition to other countries, primarily Germany.[2] He turned to the Baltic neopaganism of the Dievturība movement.[3] Late in his life he also came to express antisemitic views and support for the politics of Adolf Hitler.[2]

Death and legacy

In 1944, Eglītis was convicted in a Soviet court, accused of being a fascist collaborator. He died in prison on 20 April 1945. During the Soviet era, he was almost never discussed, remained unread and was largely forgotten. After Latvia regained its independence, Eglītis began to be rediscovered and gained status as the country's leading decadent writer. The literary scholar Vera Vāvere published a biography on Eglītis in 2012.[3]

Personal life

Eglītis married the teacher and translator Marija Eglīte (born Stalbova) in 1904. She died in 1926.[4] In 1930 he married the painter Hilda Vīka.[5] With his first wife, he was the father of the writer, journalist and painter Anšlavs Eglītis (1906 – 1993).[6]

See also

• List of unsolved deaths

Selected works

• Elēģijas, poems, 1907
• Vērtības pārvērtējot, short stories, 1911
• Skolotāja Kalēja piedzīvojumi, novel, 1921
• Dvēseles slāpes, short stories, 1922
• Zeme un mūžība, poems, 1924
• Nenovēršamie likteņi, novel, 1926

References

1. Congress, The Library of. "LC Linked Data Service: Authorities and Vocabularies (Library of Congress)". id.loc.gov. Retrieved 2021-01-24.
2. Vāvere, Vera (8 October 2004). "Viktors Eglītis - cildinātais un pulgotais dekadents". Diena (in Latvian). Retrieved 25 September 2019.
3. Skurbe, Astrīda (14 August 2012). "Atklājam piemirsto: dzejnieks Viktors Eglītis". Latvijas Avīze (in Latvian). Retrieved 25 September 2019.
4. "Marija Eglīte". Literatura.lv (in Latvian). Retrieved 20 October 2019.
5. "Hilda Vīka (1897–1963). Paintings, Drawings". lnmm.lv. Latvian National Museum of Art. Retrieved 20 October 2019.
6. Purs, Aldis; Plakans, Andrejs (2017). Historical Dictionary of Latvia. Lanham: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers. p. 102. ISBN 9781538102213.

Further reading

• Vāvere, Vera (2012). Viktors Eglītis (in Latvian). Riga: Zinātne. ISBN 9789984879161.