- INTERNATIONAL ART EXHIBITION
Program dedicated to the 750th anniversary of the Lithuanian State - Coronation of King Mindaugas
Giovanni da Monte. Povilas Alšėniškis. Around 1536-1555. LAM Unknown artist from the 2nd half of the 17th c. s. Mykolas Kazimieras Pacas. 1670. NAMB Jonas Rustemas (rustem). Jozefas Frankas. LAM Bartholomäus Strobel (?). Vladislovas Vaza (Ladislaus Vasa). Around 1636. NMW Artist from the milieu of Peeter Danckersts de Rij. 1st half of the 17th c. Albrechtas Stanislovas Radvila (Radziwiłł). NAMB Unknown artist from the 17th c. Portrait of Leonas Sapiega (Sapieha) 1617 (?). NHCMB Adomas Šemešys (Szemesz). Liudvikas Kondratavičius - Vladislovas Sirokomlė (Ludwik Kondratowicz - Władysław Syrokompla). 1854. LAM Unknown artist from the 17th c. Barbora Radvilaitė (Barbara Radziwiłł). NMW Johann Schrötter. Kristina Eufemija Radvilaitė (Radziwiłł). 1646. NAMB Viktoras Petravičius. Cover of the book "Doughter-in-law from the Barn" (with the self-portrait). 1938. LAM Rapolas Jakimavičius. Petras Vaičiūnas. 1928. LAM Vytautas Kazimieras Jonynas. Antanas Smetona. 1934. ČAM Kazimieras Jelskis. Adomas Jurgis Čartoryskis. Iki 1828. LAM
Pranciškus Smuglevičius (Smugliewicz). Portrait of the Prozoras (Prozor) Family. 1789. NMW Unknown artist from the 17th c. Vytautas the Great. LAM Augustyn Mirys. Jonas Fridrichas Sapiega (Sapieha). 1st half of the 18th c.LAM Marcė Katiliūtė. Self-portrait. 1935. ŠAM Adomas Varnas. Jonas Jablonskis. 1918. ČAM Viktoras Vizgirda. Self-portrait 1938. LAM - This large exhibition of great interest arranged by the Lithuanian Art Museum is housed in the premises of the National Museum’s two divisions - the Vilnius Picture Gallery (Didzioji 4) and the Radvila Palace (Vilniaus 22). The exhibition opens on 6th July - the Day of the Lithuanian State (Coronation of
Mindaugas, King of Lithuania).
- The goal of the international art exhibition “Founders of the Lithuanian State. Portraits from the 16th - first half of the 20th century” is to present the portraits of Lithuanian rulers, noblemen, Church dignitaries, cultural figures from Lithuanian and other states’ museums, churches and private collections. In personal aspect, it seeks to unveil the personalities whose active efforts determined the fate of the Old Lithuanian State - the most fatal events in the history of Lithuania. The exhibition focuses attention not only on the history of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania between the 16th and 18th centuries but also features the fosterers of the self-dependence of Lithuania occupied by tsarist Russia, the inspirers of the national rebirth and the founders of the new State of Lithuania - the Republic of Lithuania. The exposition on show at the Vilnius Picture Gallery includes over 400 portraits from the 16th-19th centuries. Around 200 portraits displayed at the Radvila Palace represent state, culture figures and artists of the interwar Lithuania. Besides these paintings, a wealth of graphic art, sculpture and small-scale plastic works have been also loaned by the major Lithuanian, Polish and Belarusian museum depositories, libraries, churches and private collections.
- The international art exhibition “Founders of the Lithuanian State (Portraits from the 16th - first half of the 20th century)” offers a splendid opportunity to thoroughly and versitilely present through the history of Lithuanian culture the persons who created and fostered Lithuania’s self-dependence, distinguished themselves in military and diplomacy spheres, stimulated the development of culture and art and the growth of economy, as well as to take a glance at the historical and cultural context of the Lithuanian State unveiled by their portraits. In the postwar period the history of the Lithuanian State and its culture was depersonalized. The exhibition therefore makes attempts to return to an active cultural turnover (as many possible) the most prominent personalities, who were able and highly skilled to serve for the Lithuanian State and its society. Of great importance is also an artistic aspect of the exhibition: it features the portraits of historical personalities painted by the most celebrated masters. They expand the horizon of the perception of the whole Lithuanian art. Therefore, the exhibition of historical portraits dedicated to the 750th anniversary of Mindaugas, King of Lithuania, is a significant cultural event, stimulating the public of modern Lithuania to gain a deeper understanding of the major signs of the history of our past culture together with the persons who created them.
- The Lithuanian Art Museum says its sincere thank you to the Lithuanian, Polish, Belarusian museums, the hierarchs and priests oh the Lithuanian Catholic Church, collectors, art historians for their kind assistance in the preparation of the exhibition. This amiable collaboration made possible to arrange this monumental exhibition, which offers a special occasion to closer get to know hundreds of the most outstanding founders of the Lithuanian State. My thanks also go to the museum’s art historians Laima Bialopetraviciene and Lolita Jablonskiene, who curated the exhibition as well as Giedre Jankeviciute as a consultant.
- Portrait art works are of great value not only as art monuments but also as those of history, complementing written sources. Reflecting time, the features of man’s existence and world perception, they often exceed them.
- Although in the period between the 13th and 14th centuries the palaces of grand dukes and, following the baptism of Lithuania, also the interiors of prayer houses used to the embellished with polychrome painting, in frequent cases imbued with portrait art elements, a tradition to paint the portraits of rulers and noblemen took root only as early as the 16th century with the spread of the Renaissance art in Lithuania.
- A chronological beginning of the exhibition is marked by the portraits of Bishop Merkelis Giedraitis (Giedrojć), Stephen Bathory, King of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, Sofija Ona Radviliene (Radziwiłł) painted by unknown artists (dated back to the 16th century) and that of Bishop Povilas Alseniskis (Holszański) attributed to Giovanni da Monte. Stylistic differences formed by the Italian, German, Netherlandish, late Renaissance and Mannerism as well as local tradition assert themselves in the earliest portraits. The Baroque epoch, which matured at the turn of the 16th-17th centuries and lasted until well into the 18th century, left in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania a host of churches and monasteries, residences ensembles, the treasures of monumental and easel art. The 17th century is usually referred to as the golden age of portrait, because it was this sphere of artistic work that enjoyed the most favourable conditions for the expression of the peculiarities characteristic of the new epoch as well as its ideological orientation. The exhibition presents the portraits of the Vasa dynasty rulers, the dignitaries of the Lithuanian-Polish Commonwealth painted by the 17th century court painters Peeter Danckerts de Rij, George Daniel Schultz, Bartholomaus Strobel as well as those of church hierarchs done by Johann Schrotter. The portraits of the Sapiega (Sapieha) painted by Augustyn Mirys, the works by Louis de Silvester, court painter to the Saxon Wettin, representational portraits of the Radvila (Radziwiłł) family and other noblemen by Jacob Wessel distinguish themselves by their artistic merit in the panorama of the 18th century representational personalities. The portrait painting exposition is enriched by the examples of the 16th-18th centuries graphic art as well as the works of the prominent European and Lithuanian medal masters.
- In Lithuania, a country without its sovereignty, incorporated into the Russian Empire for over a centenary, the upsurge of creative powers and aspirations for intellectual independence at the turn of the 18th-19th centuries were associated with Vilnius University. The implementation of the education reform led to the foundation of architecture and art departments at the University. Their activities shaped an individual phenomenon in the Lithuanian culture of the 1st half of the 19th century - the Vilnius School Art.
- Professor of Vilnius University Pranciskus Smuglevicius (Smugliewicz), the founder of the Vilnius School of Art, occupied an exceptional position among Lithuania’s artists. His stylised portraits, inspired by high ideals of Classicism aesthetics, are known far and wide. The portraits of art patrons and ecclesiastics painted by the arstit breathe Baroque.
- The 1st half of the 19th century witnesses the popularity of the portraits genre in Lithuania. Regardless of the fact that artists could not help satisfying the needs of the clients and went on painting representational portraits, accentuating the person's high status, a more novel chamber type of the portrait (typical of the Vilnius School of Art) took shape. The most outstanding portraitist of the Vilnius School of Art - Jonas Rustemas (Rustem), who on the death of Smuglevicius, headed the Department of Drawing and Painting at Vilnius University. The exhibition features the most valuable part of his oeuvre - an entire gallery of the portraits of science and culture figures of the period. Rustemas' portraits of university scholars pulsate not only with the features of Classicism but also those of Romanticism and Realism. His style was later elaborated by the mid-19th century artists in the form of a solid artistic program.
- The portrait genre seems to have been the most important in the oeuvre of Vilnius university graduates Polikarpas Joteika (Joteiko), Juozapas Oleskevicius (Oleszkiewicz), Jonas Damelis (Damel), Kanutas Ruseckas (Rusiecki), Valentinas Vankavicius (Wańkowicz), Adomas Semesys (Szemesz), Vladislovas Neveravicius (Niewiarowicz). Following painters' works, artists engraved and lithographed the pictures of university professors, culture and art people as well as produced original sheets. The works of the Drawing Department professors Izidorius Veisas (Weiss), Juozapas Saundersas (Saunders) and their pupils - Mykolas Podolinskis (Podoliński), Gotlybas Kislingas (Gottlieb Kisling), Vincentas Slaveckis (Sławecki), Juozapas Ozemblovskis (Oziembłowski), Karolis Ripinskis (Rypiński) demonstrate the maturity of graphic art in the 1st half of the 19th century. A small collection of sculptural portraits contains the portraits of the persons, who did great services to the country, painted by the most outstanding graduates of the university Department of Sculpture - Kazimieras Jelskis (Jelski), Vincentas Smakauskas (Smokowski), Rapolas Slizienis (Slizień).
- With the closing of Vilnius University, Lithuania had no centre for the studies of art, therefore, young people, who wanted to follow an artist's career, studied at the art academies of West Europe or Russia. In the 2nd half of the 19th century the artists Jonas Moracinskis (Moracziński), Jonas Zenkevicius (Zenkiewicz), Vincentas Slendzinskis (Slendziński), Alfredas and Eduardas Matas Remeriai (Römer), painting the portraits of art and culture people from their milieu, created the image of a strong personality faithful to stable moral and ethic principles.
- The sequence of portraits representing prominent persons in the history of Lithuania lacks consistency due to the fact that only a small part of the portraits, the history of which embraces several centuries, have seen our days. The portrait art, however, remains a dominant cultural heritage treasure, reaching the times of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and the 19th century.
- The basic part of the exposition presenting the 16th-19th centuries portrait art is comprised of painting, graphic and sculpture works from the Lithuanian Art Museum; they entered the museum's collections from various places. This process is reflected by the exhibited portraits of the Bishops of Vilnius, which used to grace the Palace of the Bishops of Vilnius, as well as by those of state dignitaries, science, public and culture figures possessed by the Vilnius Society of Science Friends, Vilnius University, Vilnius Charity Society, churches, well-known collectors of the past.
- An international status of the exhibition was granted thanks to the collaboration with Polish and Belarussian museums. It offered an opportunity to more thoroughly familiarize the Lithuanian public with the portrait collections possessed by the personalities, who centuries ago determined the development and fate of the state, uniting Lithuanians, Poles, Belarussians, Ukrainians.
- The organizers of the exhibition were guided not only by the criteria of artistic merit; they also made an attempt to disclose through personalities the development of the 16th-18th centuries Lithuania. The whole of the portraits splits into several layers, which make possible to trace the relationship between the rulers, state officers, clergy, noblemen and the gentry' families as well as to follow a political significance of dynasties.
- The 19th century portraits are formed on the basis of another ideology and different aesthetic principles. They subtly echo the moods of culture and art people in a modified life of the state, speak of their hopes concerning the independence of the country and illustrate the perception of their, the most active part of society, mission.
Laima Bialopetraviciene
- It is hard to find a person in Lithuania who would not know the features of Jonas Basanavicius, Antanas Smetona, Zemaite, Maironis or Juozas Tumas-Vaizgantas. Due to school textbooks and illustrated histories a great many appearances of political, art, science, and the Church figures have stuck in our minds. The stories of witnesses, who recollect the interwar period, as well as a wealth of photographs from those years give a vivid picture of the people who have laid the foundations for independent modern Lithuania. What new aspects in this respect can works of art - those created by painters, graphic artists and sculptors - unfold?
- First of all it is noteworthy that our knowledge of the portraits of interwar period is pretty fragmental. In the Soviet years scores of works did not see daylight in depositories on account of the portrayed undesirable persons for the regime of the period. It was only with the recent thaw in political life that the public saw the portraits of Lithuanian presidents, politicians and generals. Still, quite a number of portraits of not less important public figures have not yet been shown to the viewers. Therefore, one of the exhibition goals is an attempt to present a broader panorama of the Lithuanian public and culture figures in the 1st half of the 20th century.
- What kind of portraits among those created in the interwar period are the most numerous? Which portraits were most valued by the clients? Which works are the best witnesses to the peak of artists' excellence? How much did the portrait genre tolerate the novelties of Modernism?
- The most artistic and versatile works are the artists’ self-portraits. The majority of them were often reproduced in art history books, exhibition catalogues and have already become symbolic interwar artworks. To them belong the self portraits of Vladas Eidukevicius, Jonas Janulis, Petras Kalpokas, Antanas Samuolis, Justinas Vienozinskis, Viktoras Vizgirda. Their orchestrated palette breathes Realism, Post-Impressionism, Post-Cubism and the elements of expressionist fantasy. It is not only a wide stylistic specter that they embrace - they also aptly render the looks of the portrayed persons and suggestively feature their psychological state.
- Quite a few chamber type portraits of the artists’ intimate persons equate the artists’ self-portraits in an artistic respect. For instance , the canvases featuring the theater director Borisas Dauguvietis and the composer Juozas Naujalis undoubtedly speak of Jonas Sileika’s artistic excellence, the portraits of an artist and dancer Olga Dubeneckiene-Kalpokiene created by Petras Kalpokas leave a lasting impression. The Didziokas family of artists was fond of depicting one another, and they did it splendidly. Juozas Mikenas and Viktoras Vizgirda painted masterful watercolors embodying the looks of their former fellow-students.
- A more conservative taste prevailed among official persons and politicians, stimulating clients to commission works to be executed by the artists who promoted the principles of Neo-Academism and Realism. There were also cases when artists were asked to paint a portrait according to a photography. Artists doing the portraits of official persons would often loose a free and fresh manner characteristic of their works. It weakened an aesthetic impact of the works, but such was the taste and fashion of the epoch.
- The organizers hope that the visitor will experience not only some splendid aesthetic moments but also will be able to more thoroughly estimate a general position of the portrait genre in the Lithuanian culture of the 1st half of the 20th century and see what kind of new features this genre has been enriched with by the prosperity of photography, the development of Modernism, which changed an artistic expression and stimulated an interest in the individual.
- Giedre Jankeviciute
- Kaunas :
- Museum of the Kaunas Archdiocese, Kaunas University of Technology, Maironis Lithuanian Literature Museum, Mikas and Kipras Petrauskas Lithuanian Music Museum, M. K. Ciurlionis National Museum of Art, Vytatas the Great War Museum, Church of the Assumption (Vytautas the Great).
- Minsk:
- National Arts Museum of Belarus, National History and Culture Museum of Belarus (NHCMB)
- Pivasiunai:
- Church of the Assumption (Alytus distr.)
- Raguva:
- Church of the Assumption (Panevezys distr.).
- Rokiskis:
- Rokiskis Area Museum.
- Siauliai:
- Siauliai Ausra Museum (SAM).
- Telsiai:
- Cathedral of St. Anthony of Padua, Telsiai Diocesan Curia, Zemaiciai Museum Alka.
- Tytuvenai:
- Church of the Virgin Mary (Kelme distr.)
- Varniai:
- Church of the St. Peter and Paul the Apostles (Elisa distr.)
- Warsaw:
- National Museum in Warsaw (Poland) (NMW)
- Veliuona:
- Church of the Assumption (Jurbarkas distr.).
- Vidiskiai:
- Church of the Holy Trinity (Ukmerge distr.).
- Vilnius:
- Church of the Holy Spirit, Institute of the Lithuanian Literature and Folklore, Library of the Lithuanian Academy of Sciences, Library of Vilnius University, Lithuanian collectors’ Association, National Museum of Lithuania.
- Zemaiciu Kalvarija:
- Small Basilica of the Virgin Mary (Plunge distr.)
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Samogitian Culture, Institute of Mathematics and Informatics
Comments, remarks send to: samogit@delfi.lt
Page updated
2006.03.28