Born 25 October 1904 in Ķeipene Parish of the Riga District*

Mother – Anna (Juliana) Kalniņa (1881–1952), a houswife; father – Frīdrihs Kalniņš (1874–1952), a tailor

1912–1914 studies at Vilis Olavs School of Commerce in Riga

1914 moves to Russia together with family as refugees during the First World War

1917–1920 studies at Tomsk High School, attends the studio of painter Yevgeny Moshkevich

1921 returns to Riga, works as a commercial painter

1922 enters the Latvian Academy of Art, from 23 September attends free lectures of the first course

19 December 1924 becomes a student of full rights

25 November 1925 accepted into professor Vilhelms Purvītis Landscape Masterclass

1924 enters the student corporation "Dzintarzeme" of the Latvian Academy of Art

1928 a trip to Berlin together with co-student Boriss Štreimanis

1929 candidate member of the Latvian Artists’ Association

1929–1940 member of the artists’ association "Sadarbs"

Summer 1930 a trip to Holland and Belgium on a motorcycle together with painter Valdis Kalnroze (then Rozenbergs)

1931 participates at the International travelling exhibition Ostsee im Bilde in Lübeck, Rostock, Danzig and Königsberg

1931 graduates from the Latvian Academy of Art with the diploma work "After the Rain"; with the board decision of 5 December 1931 he has been given the degree of artist–painter

1932 military service in the Latvian Army

1934 participates at the Latvian art exhibition in Moscow and Leningrad

1935 receives the prize of the Cultural Foundation for the painting "Grey Ships"

1935 wins the Art Academy’s competition for the Rome Prize (Prix de Rome) for the painting "Raftsmen"

1935 participates at Exposition universelle et internationale de Bruxelles

August 1935–September 1936 stays in Italy, making use of the Rome Prize

1936 participates at the Latvian art exhibitions in Warsaw, Krakow, Helsinki and Tallinn

1937 participates at the Latvian art exhibitions in Tartu, Budapest, Vienna, Prague and Kaunas

1937 receives the prize of the Cultural Foundation for the painting "Winter Landscape"

1938 participates at the Latvian art exhibition in Copenhagen

1939 first solo exhibition at the Riga City Art Museum (catalogue)

1939 participates at the Latvian art exhibitions in Paris and London

1940 receives the prize of Cultural Foundation for the painting "The Daugava"

1940 board member of the Soviet Latvian Artists’ Cooperative

1943 the book "Eduards Kalniņš" with introductory text by Oļģerts Saldavs is published in the series "Latvian Art"

1945 accepted in the Latvian SSR Artists’ Union (confirmed at the meeting of the  USSR Artists’ Union organising committee executive council on 27 May 1946)

1945–1947 teacher at the Painting Department of the Latvian SSR State Academy of Art

1947 appointed associate professor at the Painting Department

1949 awarded the title of the Latvian SSR Honoured Art Worker

1954 elected corresponding member of the Art Academy of the USSR

Autumn 1954 a painting trip in the North Atlantic on the fishermen ship "Atlantija"

1955 participates at the exhibition of the Soviet Latvian fine art decade in Moscow

1955 appointed professor at the Painting and Composition Department of the Latvian SSR Academy of Art (elected in 1954)

1956 awarded the Order of the Red Banner of Labour

1956 participates at the 28th Venice Biennale with the painting "New Sails"

1957 nominated for the award of the Latvian SSR State Prize for the painting "Latvian Fishermen in the Atlantic" (not awarded)

1958 receives a bronze medal at the international exhibition EXPO’ 58 in Brussels for the painting "Latvian Fishermen in the Atlantic"

1958 a trip to China

1959 awarded a diploma of the USSR Ministry of Culture

1959 the album of reproductions "Eduards Kalniņš" (in Latvian and Russian) compiled by Miķelis Ivanovs is published

1960–1965 chairman of the board of the Latvian SSR Artists’ Union

1963 awarded the honorary title of  the Latvian SSR People’s Artist

1964 a trip to Italy

1964 awarded a diploma of the Latvian SSR Supreme Soviet

1969 awarded a diploma of the Latvian SSR Supreme Soviet

1970 elected full member of the Art Academy of the USSR

1970 awarded the Medal for Labour Valour

1971 awarded a diploma of the Latvian SSR Supreme Soviet

1972 a trip to Italy

1973 awarded the Gold Medal of the Art Academy of the USSR for the paintings "Storm in the Baltic Sea" and "On the Baltic Shore"

1974 awarded the Latvian SSR State Prize

1975 awarded the honorary title of  the USSR People’s Artist

1977 a trip to Japan and a solo exhibition in Tokyo (catalogue)

1978 appointed consulting professor at the Latvian SSR State Academy of Art

1978 a trip to India

1979 solo exhibition in Madona, Latvia

1979 awarded a diploma of the Latvian SSR Supreme Soviet

1980–1988 head of the USSR Academy of Art Creative Painting Studio in Riga

1980 solo exhibition "Travel Notes" in Krimulda, Latvia

1981 awarded  a diploma of the USSR Artists’ Union

1981 awarded a diploma of the Latvian SSR Supreme Soviet

1981 the album "Eduards Kalniņš. Travel Notes" (in Latvian, Russian, and English) compiled by Ilze Konstante is published

1982 an album on the artist compiled by Oleg Ivanov is published in Moscow

1984 the book "Cieši pie vēja: Eduards Kalniņš – portretējums" by Jānis Melbārzdis is published

1984 solo exhibition at the Latvija exhibition hall in Riga (catalogue)

1984 awarded the Lenin Order

1985 solo exhibition at the Art Academy of the USSR in Moscow (catalogue)

Public activities in the post war period: board member of the USSR Artists’ Union, board member of the Latvian SSR Artists’ Union as well as  head of the bureau and member of the Painters’ Section, member of the exhibition committee of the USSR Ministry of Culture and the USSR Artists’ Union, deputy chairman of the exhibition committee of the Latvian SSR Ministry of Culture, chairman of the Art Council of the Latvian SSR Artists’ Union, member of the experts commission of the Latvian SSR Ministry of Culture, member of the USSR Art Academy committee for work with young artists, jury member of different exhibitions.

Aija Brasliņa

Biographical data are prepared according to the information from the Eduards Kalniņš foundation (LVA, 1601. f., 1. apr., 1.–68. l.), personal files from the post war archives of the Artists’ Union of Latvia (LVA, 230. f., 3. apr., 361., 546. l.) and the Latvian Academy of Art (LVA, 442. f. , 1.–2. apr., 809. l.). Information on the artist’s education is specified according to the archive materials of the Latvian Academy of Art (LVA, 485. f., 1. apr., 386. l.), including the competition for the Rome Prize (LVA, 485. f., 2. apr., 105. l., 407. l.), as well as minutes of the Academy’s Council meetings of different years. There was no possibility to documentary check the data on the First World War and the refugee period.>