Lithuanian Art Museum Thursday, May 24, 16 p.m. The Lithuanian folk art exhibition "Wooden Wonders" opens at the Radvilai Palace Museum (Vilniaus St. 24) (will run until 2020). The exhibition will be opened by the director of the Lithuanian Art Museum, Romualdas Budrys, the curator of the exhibition, Marija Mingailitė-Kuodienė, folk singer, ethnologist Veronika Povilionienė.
On the occasion of commemorating the centenary of the restoration of the Lithuanian state, the Lithuanian Art Museum presents to the public a representative exhibition of Lithuanian cross-stitching. Wooden monuments of folk art are significant in the 2001th-XNUMXst centuries. part of Lithuanian folk culture heritage. in XNUMX The art of cross-stitching in Lithuania has received worldwide recognition - UNESCO included it in the list of masterpieces of the oral and intangible heritage of mankind.
XNUMXth-XNUMXth centuries p. The works of Lithuanian cross-makers and god-makers - crosses, roof pillars, chapel pillars, chapels, sculptures of saints - are a unique world of folk art, reflecting the worldliness of rural people, the artistic creation of the nation.
1863th century p. the crosses were delivered so densely that there were only a few dozen steps left from one to the next. The tradition of erecting crosses began to weaken after 1863. rebellion. The largest memorial monument in Lithuania is the Hill of Crosses (Šiauliai district), where in XNUMX rebels who died fighting for freedom were buried. Crosses are built to this day, they represent the spiritual values of the Lithuanian nation.
The exhibition shows photographs taken by the artist Adam Varnas, which he selected in 1925. II International Exhibition of Decorative Art, held in Monza, Italy. The museum keeps a large collection of 1919-1940. a collection of crosses drawn by the participant Kazios Šimonis.
Tall roof pillars are being built in Aukštaitija. In Žemaitija, chapel pillars, chapels built on the ground or stones, and small chapels hung on trees prevail. Crosses with instruments of Christ's torture stand out in the Dzūkija region.
Monuments erected in village cemeteries, roadsides, homesteads, fields had a memorial, protective, votive purpose. The statues of saints installed in them expressed gratitude to the Lord, the Mother of God and the saints for their care, love, and hope. The most common are the scenes reflecting the life of Christ and Mary.
The sculptures of Auksaita gods are distinguished by their laconic, generalized artistic language and inner focus. Folk sculpture spread the most in Žemaitia. A more diverse artistic plasticity of sculptures is noticeable here. Next to the naively treated form, we meet realistically styled, finely and carefully carved works.
The highlight of the exhibition are the crosses of Vincas Svirskis (1835–1916), the most famous cross-maker and god-maker of Central Lithuania. Its majestic and monumental monuments are masterpieces of crusades.
In the post-war period, with the advent of the Soviet era, the destruction of folk monuments began. in 1953 The first national folk art exhibition was held in Vilnius in 1959. - the second one. Masters who learned the craft of carving before World War II, Petras Kalenda, Anicetas Puškorius, Juozas Laurinkus, participated in them. The religious content of the works was replaced by images of the so-called "socialist life".
The revival of modern folk sculpture is related to 1966. a voluntary organization of folk artists was established - the Folk Art Society, which in 1990, after the restoration of Lithuania's independence, was renamed the Union of Lithuanian Folk Artists.
The museum has the largest collection of works by the most famous contemporary folk sculptors, which includes 760 exhibits. These are the works of Stanislaus Riaubas, the most famous sculptor from Žemaitsa, and Liongins Šepkas, an original artist from Žemaitsa. The sculptures of Aleks Mockaus, Leon Lemežis, Juoz Liaudanskis, Juoz Lukauskas, Jonas Vizbars, Adams Kvas, Vytautas Ulevičius, Ipolitos Užkurnis make a great impression.
XNUMXth century end - XNUMXst century Ave. folk artists continue the traditions of cross-work, traditional folk sculpture. The museum's collection was supplemented by the works of famous folk sculptors Gintautas Akstins, Juozas Čepulis, Augustins Teresias, Rimantas Zinkevičius, Vidmantas Zakarkas, Vandas Umbrasienė.
The preserved and nurtured crusade traditions support the nation's national self-awareness, preserve ethical values, and highlight their importance for Lithuania and its future.
Information on the Internet - www.ldm.lt
