Erich Leps

Erich Leps (until 1936 Erich Lõps; November 30, 1901 – December 14, 1965) was an Estonian painter.

Early life and education Erich Leps was born Erich Lõps in Tallinn, From 1924 to 1925, he studied again at the State Industrial Art School, and from 1925 to 1931 as a student of Nikolai Triik at the Pallas Art School. From 1944 to 1949, he lived as a war refugee in Ulm, Germany.

After emigrating to the United States, Leps mainly painted portraits of local doctors, politicians, and business figures for the first two years. In 1952, he started working as a painter for the General Outdoor Advertising Company. Due to his outstanding technical knowledge and skills, he was promoted to work at the Chicago headquarters of the same company, where he remained until 1965, when a serious illness forced him to quit his job.

Family Leps's wife was the graphic artist Pauline Elfriede Leps-Estam (1903–2002), whom he married on July 11, 1930. Their son was the educational researcher Ants Arvo Leps (1936–2008).

Legacy Erich Leps' wish was that his art collection would be sent to the Pärnu Museum in his homeland after his death. With the help of Minia Virve Leps and family friend Mai Treude, and with the support of the National Archives of Estonia, it turned out to be possible to fulfill the artist's wish. More than 120 works by Erich Leps, in addition to works by his wife, as well as works by and archive materials of Ida Emilie Adamson, Edmund S. Valtman, Salme Rosalie Riig, and even Eduard Wiiralt, were sent to Estonia.