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M K Ciurlionis National Museum of Art
Vlado Putvinskio str. 55, Kaunas
Tel.: +370 37 221418
E-Mail: MKC@takas.lt
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Works by M.K.Ciurlionis | Lithuanian art. 15th-19th c. | Lithuanian art. 1st half of 20th c. | Lithuanian folk art
Pieta. Late 19th - early 20th c.
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The museum houses a very rich collection of 18th-20th c. folk art. The display presents the best specimens of the
collection. Gatherings of folk sculpture comprise over 4000 items.
Very often family members, neighbours or the church pictures served as prototypes of the
saints, so called Dievukai (tiny gods). The most popular characters depicted by wood carvers were Crucifix and Virgin of
Sorrows. Among the saints St. George symbolizing the victory takes the first
place. Other saints - St. Isidore, St. Florian, St. John Nepomuk, St.
Agatha, St. Barbara also became very popular. Sculptures were kept not only in churches and chapels but also attached to wooden roofed
poles, shrines and crosses.
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| For a long time the clergy did not appreciate works of folk art, even disapproved them as the church could not consent to the violation of canon and free interpretation of dogmas. Crosses, shrines and wooden roofed poles were decorated with iron heads ("suns"). They are not only splendid pieces of metal work but also symbols and forms related to pre-christian times. Sun beams, crescents, serpents, plants interwine in the pattern. These motives are also met in household objects, textiles, furniture.
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Iron crosses - heads. 18th-19th c.
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Tobias and Angel. Early 19th c. |
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The collection of folk painting is much smaller. Many paintings were lost in fires or because of bad preservation
conditions.
The exhibition includes works by an outstanding self-tought sculptor Vincas Svirskis (1835-1916). The master created over 200
crosses, carved in the body of a trunk. Figures of saints bear expressiveness characteristic to the Baroque art. A complicated composition and masterly technique of crosses of 4-5 meters high make an inimitable
impression. Elþbieta Daugvilienė (1886-1959) is another artist of original style whose sculptures were made of bark using a unique
technique.
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