A visit to Riga (pop. 630,000) a few years ago sparked my interest in Art Nouveau. This Latvian city, founded in 1200, has over 800 Art Nouveau buildings, more than any other place in the world. Art Nouveau flourished here from 1904 to 1914 when this old seaport was one of the Russian Empire's largest industrial cities, and the population grew rapidly from 171,000 in 1881 to nearly 600,000 in 1913.
The natural style and free-flowing movement of Art Nouveau originated in England and rapidly spread throughout Europe and the Americas. It was in its prime for a relatively short period from 1890 to 1910, however, it made a lasting impression in the art world. Considered modern at the time, it originated in opposition to the straight lines and right angles that were attributed to the mass production of the 19th century. In addition to the curving lines similar to those found in flowers, stems, leaves, and waves, the buildings are frequently adorned with delicately designed iron balconies, statues, fountains, and colorful stained-glass windows.
Alberta Street is considered the epicenter of Art Nouveau in Riga and is also home to the Riga Art Nouveau Museum (Alberta Street 12). It was built in 1903 as the private home of Latvian, architect Konstantins Peksens who co-designed it with Eizens Laube. The most striking part of the building is a world-famous staircase located at the entryway. The museum offers a splendid collection of Art Nouveau furniture, paintings, jewelry, clothing, and glassware objects manufactured in Riga during the early 20thcentury.
For a little “couch travel,” and a chance to learn more about this famous architectural style found throughout Europe, I recommend the 55-minute U-Tube documentary “Art Nouveau without Borders.”
There is one more thing that I remember even more fondly than our walk along Alberta Street enjoying the architecture that day. It was the Japanese couple that we ran into. This was the third time and the third city that we randomly saw them while walking along the street. However, this time they hurriedly came up and invited us for dinner. They had decided, beforehand, that if they happened to run into us one more time it would be a sign that they should have us for dinner and that's exactly what happened. Fortunately, they spoke some English so we were able to communicate somewhat. All in all, it was a very special evening and I was impressed that they were willing to make a meal for guests in this small Airbnb kitchen. I forget what we ate and it doesn't really matter because it was their kindness that I remember the most.
