The art collections that were in the palace of the rulers of Lithuania are reproduced piece by piece in the exhibition | Culture

The international exhibition of engravings “From the creation of the world to the apocalypse” currently presents graphic sheets of famous European artists also related to the history of Lithuania and Poland. Many masters worked for the rulers of both states, their works were in the historical collections of noblemen.

For example, the works of the German artist Martin Šongauer were used as prototypes for the creation of miniatures of the chapels of Lithuanian Chancellor and Vilnius Voivodeship Count Albert Goštautas, as well as Lithuanian and Polish rulers Žygimantas the Elder and Bona Sforza. The chimneys of the Renaissance stoves of the Grand Dukes’ Palace of Lithuania in Vilnius were created based on the motifs of the works of the German artist Hans Sėbalds Bėham.

Organizers’ photo/Martinas Šongaueris “Suffering”

And the jeweler and gem carver from Verona, Jovanis Jakops Karaljas, worked at the Vilnius estate of Žygimantas Augustus for at least six years and probably created his most wonderful works here, which depict the rulers of Lithuania and Poland, Bona Sforca, Žygimantas Augustus and Barbora Radvilaitė.

The King of Poland and the Grand Duke of Lithuania Vladislav Vaza, while traveling around Europe in his youth, visited the workshop of the famous Flemish painter Peter Paul Rubens. The artist even painted several portraits of the ruler, after the death of PP Rubens, Vladislaus Vaza purchased part of the artist’s creative legacy for his collection.

The famous Italian painter Bernard Belot worked for the King of Poland, Grand Duke of Lithuania and Elector of Saxony Augustus III, and later – for the latter’s successor on the throne of Poland and Lithuania, Stanislaus Augustus Poniatovskis.

This ruler also highly valued and had in his collections the works of Giovanni Battista Piranesi and his son Francesco Piranesi, and these famous Italian artists dedicated one of their most monumental works to the ruler of Poland and Lithuania – an engraving depicting Emperor Hadrian’s Villa in Tivoli (Italy), one of which is decorated with Exhibition of the Museum of the Palace of the Lords (a gift from Valentin and Lilė Ramonių).

Photo of the organizers/PP Rubens

In total, over 200 graphic sheets are exhibited at the exhibition. Extremely valuable, rare and delicate XV-XVIII centuries. graphic works conceived by the curator Magdalena Adamska are presented in the exhibition in whole series of engravings, there are as many as 27 of them. Ancient mythologies and Christian visions of the creation of the world, recent discoveries, an attempt to restore destroyed cities in works, the end of the world – the exhibition reveals various themes, immortalized in black and white, decorated with the rich imagination of artists in graphics sheets.

The works of Martin Šongauer, Albrecht Dürer, Peter Bruegel the Elder, Peter Paul Rubens, Hendriks Golcius, Filip Gale, Adrian Kolart, Giovanni Battista Piranesi, Bernard Belot, representing different art schools of European countries, created in the most important graphic creative centers, even reflect several stylistic eras – Gothic, Renaissance, Mannerism, Baroque, Classicism (XV-XVIII centuries).

The works were brought to the Palace Museum from the scientific library of the Polish Academy of Sciences and Arts in Krakow. One of the richest collections in the region rarely sees the light of day – due to its fragility and sensitivity to the environment, the graphic works only leave the storage in exceptional cases. An exhibition of graphics of this size from the collections of the mentioned library is being shown for the first time. Even the audience in Krakow has not seen these treasures.

By the way, the basis of this collection of engravings is the collection of graphics of the Grand Marshal of the Kingdom of Poland and the General of the Polish Army, Count Frydrich Juozap Mośinski. This person was also the Grand Referendum and Grand Secretary of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, as well as the Grand Camper. He is also related to the Vetin dynasty that ruled Lithuania, Poland and Saxony, because FJMosinski’s mother was an illegitimate daughter of the ruler of Poland and Lithuania, Augustus the Strong.

The international exhibition of engravings “From the Creation of the World to the Apocalypse” will be on display until September 15.