The book by art historian Ināra Appena is the first comprehensive study about the sculptor August Volz who adorned the city of Riga with sculpted ornaments during the period when urban construction was flourishing in Latvia and when the richness of architectural and artistic expression culminated in Historicism and Art Nouveau.
The book consists of two parts: the first giving an account of the artist’s private life and public activities, beginning from the late 19th century Germany till early 20th century Latvia, based mainly on the memoirs of the architect August Volz, Junior, the sculptor’s son, and those written by the artist himself. The second part is looking at the heritage of works by this sculptor mainly in Riga, including the historical development of August Volz’s sculpture and stone carving company and descriptions of sculpted adornments of buildings as well as sculptures in parks and streets of Riga and elsewhere.
The book is richly illustrated with documentary photographs from archives of the Volz family and Latvian State archives as well as photos of August Volz’s works in the contemporary city space of Riga.