On Tuesday, 23 August, the Rundāle Palace Museum invites participants to the seminar “Baltic Sea Region Manor Research”, where it will be possible to learn more about the aims and objectives of the Baltic Sea Region Manor Research Centre at the University of Greifswald, as well as to get acquainted with the research areas of the Centre’s specialists.
The topics of the seminar span various subjects, such as the landscape integration of manor complexes in the Western Baltic region, the influence of the French interior fashion on the decoration of country houses in the 17th and 18th centuries, as well as the origins and early years of the sculptor Johann Michael Graff, marking his relationship with other masters of the Elbe region. In the third quarter of the 18th century, Graff worked not only at the Rundāle Palace and other palaces of the Duke of Courland, but also carried out private commissions even in Estonia.
As a unifying factor, the Baltic Sea plays an important role in the study of cultural relations, architecture and art of the countries around it, although so far it has been undervalued. A group of nine researchers from Germany has set itself the task of studying the manor complexes in each of the Baltic Sea countries in depth to better understand the special features and unifying aspects of the different sites. The first phase of the study focuses on two 18th century manor complexes in each country.
From the rich selection of Latvian manors, researchers have chosen Kabile Manor and Zlēkas Manor. German researchers will stay in Latvia from 22 to 25 August to study archival materials and to visit the selected sites in situ.
The seminar “Baltic Sea Region Manor Research” will take place in the Grand Gallery of Rundāle Palace on Tuesday, 23 August, from 11.30 to 14.00. Participants should register by e-mail: arhivs@rundale.net. The seminar is free of charge and the working language is English.
Participants of the seminar are also welcome to visit the exhibition “The Mysticism of Baroque Sculpture: Johann Georg Pinsel and other 18th-century Lviv Masters” which is on display in the Exhibition Hall in the Stables of the Rundāle Palace Museum until 31 August. The exhibition features 20 wooden sculptures by the outstanding late Baroque sculptor Johann Georg Pinsel (c. 1720?–1761?), as well as other masters from the Lviv region.