The importance of periodicals in the development of the artistic culture of Latvia at the beginning of the XX century

The turn of the XIX–XX centuries was the period of the formation of national identity in Latvia, which coincided with the intensive development of graphic art and the growth of its prestige under the infl uence of the Art Nouveau style. The beginning of the twentieth century was marked by an increase in the level of culture of magazine graphics. In the same period, a generation of Latvian professional artists appeared in Latvia, who, in contrast to the tradition of the second half of the 19th century, sought to expand their activities at home. They set as their goal the formation of national art, and the ability to issue Latv ian periodicals created the prerequisites for this task. The most signifi cant periodicals of this time, both in design and in content, should include the literary and artistic editions of Vērotājs and Zalktis, and the Latvian magazine Svari, published in St. Petersburg, was considered a comedy magazine. In the design elements of magazines, artists often demonstrate an important feature of Latvian art – pantheistic perception of nature: many abstract ideas and images are refl ected in natural forms.