Exhibition "Under the Italian Sun. 18th–20th Century Lithuanian Artists' Works," December 1, 2017 – August 19, 2018

The exhibition "Under the Italian Sun. XVIII–XX centuries The Work of Lithuanian Artists of the First Half of the Year", 1 December 2017 - 26 August 2018, Lithuanian Art Museum, Vilnius Picture Gallery.

Travelling, visiting the most famous European architectural and art monuments, galleries and museums, studying in art centres of European significance, foreign art academies and workshops of famous artists were an important factor of professional development for artists of different eras. A dream that has become reality or that has never come true...

From the Renaissance era to the nineteenth century. The leader of European artistic life was Italy, and in 1577. In Rome, St. Lukas Academy of Arts was considered the best vocational education institution for artists in Europe. It is not surprising that paths led artists from all over the world to Italy and the eternal city of Rome.

He studied in Italy, lived and worked here for twenty years, one of the most famous people of the eighteenth century. Lithuanian and Polish painters Simonas Čechavičius. In this country, the personality of the first professor of the Department of Drawing and Painting of Vilnius University, Pranciškus Smuglevičius, as well as the style of his work, was formed. Like S. Čechavičius, P. Smuglevičius spent twenty years in Italy – studying at St. Peter's Cathedral. He painted portraits and altarpieces, studied and painted ancient monuments, communicated with painters, architects, archaeologists, collectors, and publishers.

In the nineteenth century, the Paris Academy of Fine Arts became a centre of artistic education of international importance, and German artistic centres – Berlin, Dresden and Munich – emerged, but the importance of studying in Italy and getting to know the cultural heritage of this country did not diminish. Italy remained one of the main countries to which the best students of the art departments of Vilnius University were sent for foreign internships. However, due to the lack of funds, not all those who deserved it were able to get university scholarships for such internships. After receiving scholarships, John Gottlieb Kisling studied in Florence, Rome and Milan in 1823–1824, and Bonaventure Klembowsky in Dresden, Rome and Paris in 1828–1832; other students of Vilnius University went to their dreamed studies abroad at their own expense or with the support of wealthy patrons. Probably the most (about ten years) was spent in Italy by Kanutas Ruseckas, shorter or longer lived here by Jonas Trojanauskas, Julius Miševskis, Julijonas Karčiauskas, Ignacas Romanas Postempskis, Jonas Banevičius, Antanas Belkevičius and other students of Vilnius University.

In the middle of the nineteenth century and the second half of the nineteenth century, Albertas Žametas, Juozapas Marševskis, Alfredas Isidorius Riomeris, Jonas Zenkevičius, Boleslovas Ruseckas, Mykolas Elvyras Andriolis, Tadas Goreckis, Elena Skirmantaitė-Skirmantienė and others were attracted to Italy not only because of the monuments of antiquity, Renaissance, Baroque art, rich art collections,  A country of impressive museums and galleries, but also because of the country's excellent climate, its picturesque landscape, the bright sun and the special blue sky – all this was perfect for plein air painting.

XX a. In the first half of the year, Stanislovas Jarockis, Kazimieras Stabrauskas, Petras Kalpokas, Rimtas Kalpokas, Kajetonas Sklėrius, Vytautas Kairiūkštis and many other Lithuanian artists travelled around Italy for study and educational purposes. For fifteen years, the painter Jonas Mackevičius lived and worked on the island of Capri.

The works of Lithuanian artists created in Italy and inspired by its impressions are presented in the exhibition on topics that help to understand the attraction of this country's art and culture, its influence on Lithuanian art, to see how artists of different generations saw and immortalized in their works the sunny Southern country, rich in natural and cultural monuments.

The works were loaned to the exhibition by the National M. K. Čiurlionis Museum of Art, the National Museum of Lithuania, the Šiauliai Aušra Museum, the Samogitian Museum "Alka", the Kaunas City Museum, the Wroblewski Library of the Lithuanian Academy of Sciences, the law firm "Ellex Valiunas", the Public Institution "Lewben Art Foundation", dr. Jaunius Gumbis.

Exhibition curators: Dalia Tarandaitė (project manager), Rūta Janonienė, Giedrė Jankevičiūtė. The exhibition was organized by: Rasa Adomaitienė, Rima Rutkauskienė.