October 18 The scenographer’s work will be presented in detail at the exhibition opening at the MKČiurlionis National Art Museum in Kaunas in the context of Egyptomania, Japonism aesthetics, Christian mysticism, esoteric teachings and global trends in national style.
The visitors will be welcomed by the elements of the scenography, the image, the sound and the scents specially created for this exhibition by the fragrance artist Laimė Kiškūnė into a unified sense of the synthesis of the arts synaesthetically connecting the exhibition space.
From ancient civilizations to Lithuanian folk motifs
Liudas Truikys is one of the most famous set designers in Lithuania. His name is primarily associated with the idea of the synthesis of arts, which developed prominently in the 19th and 20th centuries. at the junction and interested many creative personalities of that period – composers, painters, philosophers and prophets of new spiritual movements.
The artist got inspiration for his work by delving into the cultural and spiritual heritage of various ages and countries. The broad horizons of L.Truikis’ worldview are reflected in the scenes, which are originally combined with motifs of the ancient civilizations of Egypt, Japan, Christian Western Europe, pagan Lithuania and Lithuanian folk art.
Moon and star, burning candle and cross, thorns and lightning-serpents, mythical animals and winged creatures, examples of calligraphy from distant lands, deities of various religions – these are L.Truikis’s favorite decorative signs of scenery and profound symbols summarizing the philosophical content and musical plasticity of operas he perceived. . The scenography emphasizes not the functional, but the associative meaning of such details.
L.Truikys also admired the strength of his personality – a creator of always elegant appearance and refined manners, who was deeply interested in the esoteric works of the 19th and 20th centuries. during his studies and living in an exotic apartment, he had become a living legend of his time, just like his muse, the opera soloist Marijona Rakauskaitė (1892–1975). Truikys said that he felt a duty to serve the Light and considered performing arts to be the means that can protect the world from chaos and ensure the harmony of the Cosmos.
Religious themes and unexpected finds
The theater scene beloved by L.Truikis has symbolic links with the liturgical space of the church, which has been decorated since the 16th century. was perceived as Sacred Theater (“holy theater”). The scenographer implemented church art projects in three churches in Kaunas. In these works of the artist, we can notice color and thematic connections, but very different stylistics, subtly adapted to the architecture of each church.
in 1938 L.Truikys decorated the modern architecture Kaunas St. Ultramarine archangels fresco in the triumphal arch of the Church of the Heart of Jesus (Šanții).
L. Truikys received one church order during the Soviet era – in 1956. Kaunas St. He painted two facade frescoes for the Church of the Cross (Carmelites): “Crucifixion” and “Lamentation”.
Another one in the Gothic Kaunas St. St. Nicholas (Benedictine) Church of L. Truikis in 1938-1939. the created interior is a significant example of modern ecclesiastical art in interwar Lithuania. in 1948 the Soviet authorities closed Kaunas St. Nicholas Church. The altars were dismantled, some paintings were given to museums. No one knew under what circumstances the “Apostles” triptych disappeared. The artist himself believed that they were destroyed.
ČDM photo/L.Truikys. Sketch of the scenery for the opera “Don Karlas”, 1959
in 2023 March 31 Benedictine sisters, while moving the attic of the church with the staff of the Kaunas Archdiocese Museum, discovered an unexpected treasure that they thought they had lost forever – the “Apostles” paintings.
Visitors to the exhibition will have a unique opportunity to see for the first time since 1948. three monumental paintings depicting the procession of the twelve apostles painted by Liudas Truikis, which decorated the presbytery of this church, were considered missing. This iconographic plot, which existed in the art of Late Antiquity, Byzantium and the Middle Ages, was not common in Lithuania, so the work of L. Truikis is a unique example of our ecclesiastical art. Subtly restored by the restorer Teresė Blažiūnienė, the noble shining apostles with clay and muted gold color amaze with their grandeur and beauty.
The ideas of the synthesis of arts are in the scenery of operas
The artist became famous even in the interwar period, creating stage designs for drama and opera performances, in which he began to solve the problems of the synthesis of arts that interested him, arguing that the means of expression of scenography must correspond to the musical structure of the work. In the Soviet era, when naturalism prevailed on the stage of the theater, such innovative discoveries received severe ideological criticism. L. Truikys was publicly called a cosmopolitan, formalist and mystic and was suspended from theatrical work for many years. Only during the so-called warming period did the artist return to the theater again, and then his talent shone in full maturity.
ČDM photo/L.Truikys. Set design for the opera Madame Butterfly, 1959
The most important set designs by L. Truikis for the operas “Three Talismans” (1936), “Eglė” (1939), “Gražina” (1968), “Madame Butterfly” (1937, 1959, 1986), “Aida” (1963-1965, 1975), “Othello” (1938, 1983-1984) and “Don Carlo” (1959, 1981) sketches, which highlight the unique principles of symphonic forms of visual forms, some impressive theatrical costumes.
Photo by Romuald Rakauskas. / ČDM photo/L.Truikys at the fountain of the Čiurlionis Art Museum
Scenography projects created by L.Truikis for Giuseppe Verdi’s opera “Don Karlas” in 1959. and in 1981 his creative biography contains perhaps the most significant works that raise the idea of the synthesis of arts to metaphysical heights.
in 1959 with “Don Carlo” scenery, L.Truikys returned to the big stage of the theater after almost 20 years of silence. According to eyewitness accounts, after the lights went out and the curtain appeared in front of the audience with a rhythmic repetition of Gothic ornaments and a stylized cross, the hall burst into a long ovation.
L.Truikis’ sketches of scenery and costumes for the opera “Aida” (1963-1965, 1975) are among the most interesting and highly acclaimed works of the artist. They reveal a deep knowledge of the fine arts of ancient Egypt and other ancient civilizations and the great effort he put into searching for various prototypes – monumental architecture, sculpture, clothing and decor – details.
Creation of the stage design for the opera “Gražina” in 1968. L.Truiki was very important in the Kaunas State Musical Theater. It marked the stage designer’s gradual return to the big stage after years of creative restraint and the opportunity to continue his search for the synthesis of arts.
ČDM photo/L.Truikis set design sketch for the opera “Three Talismans”, 1936
Fragrance is an integral part of L.Truikis’s work
Whoever visited L.Truikis’ house, everyone felt their special inspiring atmosphere. Sacred scents could have a strong impact on the artist’s work, imbued with theosophical esotericism. They, like light, as color or as spatial form, flow in his mysterious scenographies. Therefore, in the exhibition, next to the most famous sketches of opera scenography, a scent appeared as a natural and independent actor, which, like the most refined thread of nature, weaves together the most special works of the artist.
Fragrance artist, perfumer Laimė Kiškūnė specially created a sakura scent for this exhibition, which will reveal connections with Japan. In the soft and exciting scent of Japanese cherries, you can smell bitter almonds, olives, coffee and subtle undertones of violets and jasmine. The period of Pharaoh Hatshepsut (15th century BC) is particularly suitable for the Egyptian theme. The murderer historical reconstruction of perfumes.
The smell of incense, lingering in L. Truikis’ house, also moved to the exhibition. Noble, deep, reminiscent of church incense enriched with substances of frankincense, myrrh, benzoin, amber and juniper needles. In the exposition, the Lithuanian landscape is reflected by the smell of fir trees – extremely pleasant, soft, nurturing and comforting. The exhibition space is also filled with the incense, smoky, milky sweet smell of Indian sandalwood, giving it boundless solemnity and even piety.
The exhibition at the National MKČiurlionis Art Museum (V. Putvinskio str. 55) will be open until February 16, 2025. The curators of the exhibition are dr. Radvilė Racėnaitė, Rasa Bieliūnaitė, Rasa Ruibienė.
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