Institute of Art History of the Latvian Academy of Art Anna Ancāne ...

An important manifestation of triumph arch type in Riga was related to
the new program of fortifications when the main gate was created anew
and endowed with lavishly decorated portals. The King’s Gate in Citadel
(about 1670) designed by Erik Dahlbergh had a triumph arch composition
complemented with an attic floor, niches, aediculae, sculptural décor and
heraldic reliefs. The impressive Karl’s Gate (1685–1687) are
architectonically close to the King’s Gate: both are referring to the
heritage of Scamozzi and Palladio as well as to the fortified gates by
Vauban in which majestic, restrained Classicism came together with
Flemish Mannerist impulses. Similar solutions are found in the Belfort
Gate (porte de Belfort) of Neuf-Brisach fortifications, De Hampoort of
the Grave Fortress in the Netherlands and in other cases in France and
Sweden. Dahlbergh’s conception of portal décor is sometimes even
denser than that of French samples. In 1692 the Sand Ravelin Gate was
set up – the newest and single gate of Riga’s fortifications that feature
analogies to the portals of patrician dwelling houses (1694).
The group of decorative or ornamental portals comprises those with
the plastic ornament predominating over tectonic construction. The
chronological boundaries of these are from the early 1680s to the end of
the century. A variety of portals with low pilasters decorated by flower
and fruit garlands reminds of the so-called “Renaissance pilasters” in
which fluting was replaced with natural floral ornament, at the same time
embodying the transfer of ancient tradition – decorated triumph gate –
into the civic architecture. Numerically the group of ornamental portals is
superior today: they are found at 10 Tirgoņu Street (1698), 6 Bīskapa
Gāte (after 1696), 8 Miesnieku Street (1702), such an example had
decorated also the Neustädts Konvent at 36 Kalēju Street. Possibly the
portals at Miesnieku, Tirgoņu and Mūku Streets have come from one
sculpture workshop, hypothetically that of either Johann Bodemer or
Hans Walter Schmiessel. Similar traits are found in the portals of Western
Prussia – in Toruń on the threshold of the 18 th century and Gdańsk
(Danzig) interiors, still Riga’s group of portals covered a wider time-span
and almost did not change during that period. Formally the group of
“decorative portals” includes also examples without ornamented pilasters
but with decorated entablatures (the portal at Rīdzene Street (present
Trokšņu Street)). Besides, this group also refers to several portals with
upper light windows that were common in Riga’s burghers’ houses.
Except 10 Tirgoņu Street, analogical solution had been at 26(?) Smilšu
Street and 14 Jauniela. Other instances feature in Old Riga’s façade
surveys: at 24 Smilšu Street, 26/28 Peldu Street, 9/11 Zirgu Street, 6 and
14 Tirgoņu Street, the corner of Mazā Smilšu and Mazā Zirgu Streets,
several buildings at the junction of Mazā Smilšu and Lielā Smilšu Streets,
at 8 Palasta Street, 3 and 5 Mazā Pils Street, 18 Pils Street, 32 Grēcinieku
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