1. Owner’s cabinet in Pope manor house with document casket and collection of miniature paintings, 1910. NSLA, Dep. 5 B II, Nr. 1708 Popės dvaro šeimininkų kabinetas su dokumentų skrynele ir miniatiūrinių paveikslų kolekcija, 1910 SOCIOLOGY OF ART COLLECTION: THE ROLE OF COLLECTIONS IN 19TH CENTURY INTERIOR DESIGN Ojārs Spārītis Art AcadeMY of LatVia 13 Kalpaka boulevard, Riga, LV-1867, Latvia
[email protected] The present paper deals with the problem of art collections in wealthy families of Baltic German nobility and officials of Riga. The aim of the author is to open a discussion on a sociological survey and offer a method for the evaluation of the art collections that once existed in the territories of Latvia and part of Lithuania. Studies of the relevant sources and documents reveal the high-quality art by prominent European artists represented in manors and apartments of the nobility, but destroyed through political catastrophes of the 20th century. KEYWORDS: sociology of art, art collection, Baltic German nobility, antiquities, Jaungulbene (Neu-Schwanenburg) manor, Paul and Ada von Transehe-Roseneck. 129 Up to the agrarian reform of 1920, most of the satisfy their artistic interests and needs, we offer the pres ent-day Baltic territory, including Latvia, was family property assessment by the Courland Credit in the hands of large landowners. According to Union in 1887 in Russian gold roubles, the strongest the established feudal principles, the economy was currency at the time. Thus, the value of all movable mainly driven by the agricultural output of manor and immovable property of the Ēdole (Edwahlen) farms, which, since the end of the 18th century and mansion was estimated at 399 376.80 roubles and the beginning of capitalist industrial development, the Zlēkas (Schleck) estate value was equivalent to was supplemented by small plants that processed 296 350.40 roubles.