| Salme Rosalie Riig | |
| Birth Date: | August 12, 1903 |
| Birth Place: | Pärnu, Estonia |
| Death Place: | Palo Alto, California |
| Nationality: | Estonian |
| Alma Mater: | University of Tartu, Pallas Art School |
| Occupation: | Sculptor and printmaker |
Salme Rosalie Riig (also Riig-Schönberg[1] and Riig-Reiman;[2] August 12, 1903 – September 5, 1973) was an Estonian sculptor and printmaker.[3] [4]
Riig was born in Pärnu,[4] the daughter of Johan Riig (1871–?) and Ann Riig (née Karvand, 1879–1958).[5] She graduated from Pärnu Girls' High School in 1922 and the Szczecin Home Economics School in 1924,[6] after which she worked as a home economics teacher in Tartu.[6] In 1934, she graduated from the University of Tartu as an art historian,[4] [7] and in 1943 from the sculpture department of the Pallas Art School, where she studied printmaking under Ado Vabbe and sculpture under Anton Starkopf.[4]
Riig started showing her works at art exhibitions in 1939.[4] [8] Small active figures and innovative wall panels characterized her work in the second half of the 1930s. Riig fled Estonia in 1944.[4] [8] She settled first in Sweden,[4] [8] then relocated to Argentina in 1946[4] [8] and to the United States in 1968. She continued to work as an artist in Argentina as well, where she received the 1951 Salón National Prize for foreigners[2] [4] [8] and the 1957 Buenos Aires Salón Municipal Rogelio Yrurtia Prize.[4] [8] She portrayed mythological and biblical themes in her work.
Riig was married twice: to Eduard Heinrich Schönberg-Paenast[9] (1885–1944)[10] and to Mihkel Reiman (1904–1968).[4] [8] [11]