Jugendo stilistika lietuvių ir latvių prozoje

Abstract

Jugendstil left an imprint in both Lithuania and Latvia. Blocks of original buildings appeared in Riga; in Vilnius several architectural ensembles can also be found. The style is closely connected with the tradition of exhibition holding. Special mention should be made of the Paris Exhibition in 1900, in which Lithuanian artists took part, and the 1901 exhibition in Riga. The style had a great impact on the art of printing since a great number of ornate books and albums were published in Lithuania and Latvia. Thus Jugendstil, found in West and Central Europe, influenced the Lithuanian and Latvian culture life as well. In prose, Jugendstil is reflected in worldviews and ideas. The ideas expressed in fine art were adopted in literature - the same themes and motifs can be traced there. Art and literature are united by the vision of the unity of the world, exaltation of nature, and admiration of fantasy. The adoption of Jugendstil from German litera ture was a creative process, adapting the ideas to the experience of Baltic culture. Still, Latvian prose was more influenced by the German tradition. The influence of the new style can be found in the search for new forms. Rhythmical arabesques and ornamental arrangements make Jugendstil stand out from other styles of the time. Works of fine art are marked by curvilinear motifs and flat colour patches while works of prose stand out for theii rhythm and special attention given to the forms of expression. The writers were seeking to rehash the traditional mode of narrating, which resulted in hybrid poetry and prose forms, especially admired by younger writers. The results were not always mature; however, they reflected the general European tendencies and had impact on the further development of Baltic literature. The Latvians were more bold in their experiments while the Lithuanians (with the exception of I.Šeinius) tried to adapt their works to the cultural tradition and folklore.