(7(19).7.1897, farm Sheep, now Gulbene district -7.3.1975 ], people's artist of USSR (1963), the rector of the Latvian Academy of arts. He studied at the Moscow VKhUTEMAS (1918) I. I. Mashkov. He teaches at the Academy of arts of the Latvian SSR in Riga (1940-41, 1944-52 and 1954; Professor since 1947, rector from 1961). The Chairman of the Board of the Union of artists of the Latvian SSR (1965-1968). Deputy of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR 7-th convocation. For still lifes and landscapes C. Mature period is characterized by major, emotional excitement in the depiction of everyday human environment, gamma contrast bright, saturated colors ("Old Riga", 1927; "Vestiena", 1956; "still life with newspaper", 1967, all at the Art Museum of the Latvian SSR, Riga). State prize of the Latvian SSR (1957). Awarded the order of Lenin, 3 other orders and medals.
Svemp was born in a peasant family in the County Beliavsky (b. Kortenhof). After leaving school the young man went to Moscow, where he began to study painting in a private Studio A. P. Bolshakov (1917). In 1918 he enrolled in the VKhUTEMAS, where his teacher was the famous painter I. I. Mashkov. Soon, however, the young artist had to return to Latvia.
From 1920 to 1924 Svemp deals at the law faculty of the University in Riga. His paintings exhibited at various exhibitions. In 1923, organized his first solo exhibition.
In the years 1928-1938 Svemp was part of the "Riga group of artists", which was marked by opposition to traditional art forms. A significant role in the artist played his visits to Germany, France, Belgium and Italy, where he studied the heritage of old masters, acquainted with works of modern art.
Worked Svemp mainly in the genre of still life, at least — landscape and portrait ("still life", 1928; "the Fruit", 1928; "Old Riga", 1927; "Smoker").
With years in the works Swamp appears all the more active perception of the world. From under his hand out the amazingly beautiful still lifes, mostly he writes bunches of flowers, playing on his love life, temperamental and deeply emotional attitude to nature. They brought the artist to European fame, after it was shown at the exhibition of Latvian art in Belgium. In the years of the Nazi occupation of Latvia Svemp writes a series of landscapes, filled with a sense of loneliness and anxiety.
After the great Patriotic war Svemp is creating a series of still lifes and landscapes (the"Flowers", 1947; "still life", 1948; "Asters", 1954; "Flowers and fruits", 1955, "Landscape", 1960).
Among the landscapes painted by Svemp in recent years, attracting the attention of a large cycle devoted to Sigulda and Erase. At the Republican exhibition of Latvian fine art, dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the birth of V. I. Lenin, the artist presented "the Landscape" (1969), featuring picturesque artistry and emotional richness.
Svemp — people's artist of USSR, laureate of the State prize of the Latvian SSR, Professor, and since 1961 the rector of the Riga Academy of arts.
